Lights Out
by NaruSasuNaruLover
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke hated each other in high school. What happens when in college they are roomed together? How about when the power goes out and one is afraid? AU, NaruSasu, Rating to be safe. Reposted
1. Home Life

**Lights Out: Naruto and Sasuke hated each other in high school. What happens when in college they are roomed together? How about when the power goes out and one is afraid?**

**Shelly's Note: This first chapter is not changed much from the original first chapter, just changed couple grammatical errors that I found…nothing big, but if you've read the story from my first posting and remember the first chapter you really don't have to re-read it because nothing has really changed…**

**This still has no outline, though I'm trying to make one…I'm working on writing chapter nine now so I can post fairly quick and I will be on winter break here soon so I decided to post it again…hopefully I can finish it this time…**

**Another thing: I'm from the United States, so I'm going off those standards of drinking ages and what not**

**Chapter 1: Home Life**

Sasuke Uchiha was packing to go to college. The university that he decided to go to was a mere thirty minutes away, and yet he had decided to live in the dorms. He wasn't the only student to live in the dorms from their town, but just the other students had other reasons. Sasuke did it to get away from his guardian.

When he was eight years old, he had seen his parents die in front of him because of a car crash. He tried calling for help, but no one came and by the time anyone did, it was too late. He and his brother were put into foster care and soon Orochimaru adopted them. Orochimaru was abusive, though when his brother was there he'd protect him. Itachi could only protect him for so long as he was a genius and got through school quickly which meant he went away to college much earlier than he should have.

Sasuke sat on his bed looking down at the floor, his dark hair falling in to his face. He couldn't believe he was finally getting out of the house. _'Don't screw this up, get a job, save money, start renting an apartment when the semester is done and you'll never have to come back to this stupid place,'_ he thought to himself. He hated leaving the Uchiha manor in such hands, but he refused to come back when Orochimaru was there. The truth was, it was his decision to move out, he may be young, but he was eighteen and that meant he was an adult so Orochimaru couldn't stop him anymore.

He rubbed his arm from where he'd been held too tightly the previous night as he was thrown against the wall. He was sure that his back was covered in bruises, but he didn't dare lift his shirt to look, rather he just made sure that he wore shirts to cover them. He sighed as he thought about it, about how the older man always hurt him, yet was careful enough never to send him to the hospital. Orochimaru loved to punch and leave bruises on him, he loved to throw him against walls, but he would never break a bone or break him enough so that Sasuke would need to go to the hospital. He would always say, _"Toughen up, its just a few cuts and bruises," _every time Sasuke showed him any weakness.

The dark haired teen shook his head, wanting to stop thinking about it. He went toward his things, pulling out a checklist to make sure that he had everything. _'Clothes, check, some books, check, money, check, journal, check' he_ thought to himself as he started going through the list to make sure he had everything. _'Nightlight,_' he thought as he looked around for it, panicking a little. Ever since the death of his parents, he hadn't been able to sleep without it, which was only amplified when Orochimaru appeared. His nerves calmed when he found it, realizing it was already packed safely. The thought that he may have to go buy a new one was a little embarrassing. _'What will I say to my roommate?'_ he wondered, knowing it couldn't be the truth. He frowned and started thinking of an excuse.

Once he was packed, he started taking his things down to his car. The parking pass for resident students was already on his window. As he was loading up the car, Orochimaru came down, "Sasuke, you know you could just stay here." He could feel his intense eye on him as he put his things in the car.

"Hn," was his only response. He refused to look him in the eyes; as if he did then Orochimaru may attack.

"Look at me when I talk to you," the older man ordered. His voice gave off a creepy aura that made Sasuke spine shiver, and not in a good way. Sasuke ignored him, but knew it would be okay because there was light and he never hit when there was light and certainly not when they were in public.

"Leave me alone," Sasuke mumbled as he finished packing the last of his things into his car. He hated feeling so weak against the man in front of him, but he couldn't help it since the man had been abusing him more and more since he took him in.

Sasuke had three years until he'd get his trust fund that his parents left for him when they died and then he'd know he's truly free of him. He came from a wealthy business family; the Uchiha Company was taken over by a family friend, Kakashi when his parents died. He tried to also get the boys, but lost because he was single and running a business. However Kakashi kept in contact with Sasuke and Itachi telling both the boys that the business what theirs once school and training was complete. Kakashi took good care of the family business, as well as still gave money to the business school that all the Uchihas went to, as well as making sure each of the boys got a car for their sixteenth birthday. However, not being their guardian, there wasn't much else that he could do. After all, it wasn't as if he and Orochimaru got along.

"You'll be back," Orochimaru said with a glare on his face. Sasuke took one last look at Orochimaru's snake-like yellow eyes. As he watched the older man's dark hair blow in the wind, he knew he didn't want to see him again. Orochimaru stood tall, proud, and looking as scary as ever. Sasuke wouldn't give in though. He knew what he was after; he wanted part of the Uchiha fortune and thought he could break him to get it. The teen knew he also felt good holding power over him, as if he got off on it. "Even if you aren't, you'll still see me again. After all, you see me every time you close your eyes, don't you?" Sasuke wished he could smack that smirk off his face, but instead he just remained silent as he closed his trunk and got into his car. Without looking back, he drove away, hating the feeling Orochimaru's last words brought him.

**NS**

At ten o'clock Naruto Uzumaki opened his eyes, waking up peacefully. He let out a yawn, stretching and then looked at his clock, at which point he fell out of bed. "Crap," he yelled. He quickly picked himself off the floor as he realized he still needed to pack his things and that he meant to get up a few hours earlier, however he was never and early riser.

"I told you to pack last night," teasing voice from behind him said. He turned a second to glare at his brother, Kyuubi, and then hurried his packing. Packing was more throwing a bunch of things into suitcases in an unorganized fashion. There was no checklist to make sure everything was there. He just figured he'd drive the half an hour to get the things he needed if he forgot anything.

"Shut up Kyuubi, I really don't need to hear any more I told you so, today," he said as he hurried to get packed. The school had it organized so that students could only pick up their room keys by a certain time; otherwise, they'd be on lunch or closed. This meant that if he wanted to get into his room today, he'd have to wait until one or do it before twelve. He really wanted to get out his house, so he hoped to get there before twelve. Today was the first day of people moving in, as they were doing it all week, so hoped some people would wait to move in.

Kyuubi just sat there watching him run around in a panic. He was sure his brother was getting some twisted form of joy out of his pain. However, that was all he could expect from Kyuubi. His brother had chased off every foster parents that they had since their father died. He was too young to remember his father's death and Kyuubi wouldn't talk about. He knew that Kyuubi blamed himself. He knew his mother died while giving birth to him, but his father's death was a mystery. Kyuubi always said,_ "Don't worry about it"_ then frowned.

"Kyuubi, can't you just help me pack," Naruto asked as he tried shoving everything in his suitcases.

"Nope, this is more fun," answered Kyuubi as he ate chips as if he were watching television. He laughed at Naruto's attempt and it made Naruto think about why the two of them were called _the Uzumaki monsters. _He sighed as he thought about how much trouble they got into as kids with little or no supervision. It mellowed out as they got older, but they still sometimes pulled pranks on people.

"You're going to miss me," Naruto smiled. He knew his brother picked on him a lot, but he also knew they stuck together and helped each other. Kyuubi just rolled his eyes. Naruto felt it best not to say anything else. He knew sometimes Kyuubi could have mood swings and he didn't want to provoke one. They may get along sometimes and Kyuubi may not have hurt him but he's hurt people in the past. Naruto had seen what Kyuubi could do to people and he knew it was the main reason people left them alone.

Kyuubi walked over to Naruto as he finished packing. The redhead ruffled Naruto's blonde hair and said, "Good luck in college."

"Thanks," he smiled as he took his things to his car, which he had worked for since he was sixteen. It was nothing special, but it was his baby because it was all his. He had his parking sticker already and knew that all he needed was his room key and he'd be set. He shoved his things into his car. "See you later," he smiled to his brother before getting in his car to go school.

He was excited to get out of his house, to make a new name for himself. He wouldn't be looked at in fear or hatred because he was Naruto, Kyuubi's brother. He would show that he was nothing like his brother.

**TBC...?**

**End Note: Should I continue? As I said, I'm writing with no real outline...This is just the first chapter that gives and background of each of their lives...next chapter they will get to college**


	2. Roommates

**Shelly's Note: All that's added in this chapter is a small scene about the nightlight towards the end, if you don't care about it…feel free to skip it…other than that nothing really significant was added…fixed a few grammatical errors and tried to clean it up a little but it's pretty much the same…**

**However, it would be nice to have a review from anyone reading to know that you are reading, because while I am happy 5 people are, I may also start to work on other stories if I don't see more interest in this one again…. you don't have to read each chapter again, just post a review to let me know you are still reading so I don't move on thinking I lost my readers for this story… **

**I've planned the first 24 chapters already, I may plan more tonight…I'm trying to get the first 8 chapters up quickly because I know some people have read them already, so don't think this will be my normal updating speed because it will really just depend. **

**Chapter 2: Roommate**

Naruto was excited as he made his way to collect his room key. He had to stand in a short line, as all the tables that were set up for the purpose of handing keys out were currently helping other students. As he stood in line, he thought about what kind of roommate he wanted. He hoped he might be a friend he had made from basketball in high school or maybe one of the few people not from the surround districts so that he wouldn't know him at all. The University was small and made up mostly of students of the surrounding areas, unless they traveled in for the Uchiha funded business school.

Naruto hated the Uchihas, or more specifically, he hated Sasuke Uchiha. He knew that Sasuke's parents had died, only because everyone talked about the young Uchiha. Naruto still felt that Sasuke was perfect and had everything, yet he didn't care for any of it. The dark haired teen had flawless skin; the perfect body, smoldering eyes, and everybody loved him for nothing other than his looks and his last name. If there was one Naruto didn't want as a roommate, it was Sasuke.

"Next," the lady at the table called. Naruto made his way to the table and she looked at him with annoyance. "Name," she demanded as she looked at him.

"Naruto Uzumaki," he smiled as he answered. He could tell that she didn't care for his enthusiasm as she got his key. After practically throwing the key at him, she glared at him until he walked away. He couldn't help but think, _'Well somebody hates their job.'_ He then read the card with his room number on _'331 Konoha Hall.'_ He smiled to himself and made his way toward the dorms.

As he walked, he thought more about his roommate. He knew he didn't want Sasuke, but he still hoped for somebody hot. After his failed date with his friend Sakura a few years back, he confirmed his own suspicion that he might be gay. His friends were okay with it, since he wasn't attracted to any of them and he rarely talked about it. However, as he thought about it, he thought that being attracted to his roommate might make things awkward. He sighed and decided to stop thinking about it as he walked the rest of the way toward Konoha Hall.

**NS**

Sasuke Uchiha got to his dorm room early. He figured that he'd arrive before his roommate and he was right. He quickly unpacked his things, finding a place for everything on his side of the room. He picked the side by the window, because windows always provided more light. He quickly found a place that wasn't very noticeable to plug in his nightlight, figuring that if he were asked about it he could just make something up or glare at them to shut them up.

He hadn't really thought about who his roommate might be. He had heard Suigetsu and Juugo talking about roommates long before school started, but he just ignored the conversation. He figured he'd just see whom he was stuck with when the time came. There was only one person that Sasuke hoped it wouldn't be and that was Naruto Uzumaki. For some reason the guy hated him. Sasuke was just quiet and kept to himself, but Naruto was always picking fights with him. Sasuke and Naruto had fought ever since he could remember. If there was one person Sasuke would hate as a roommate, it was the blonde.

Sasuke decided that he didn't want to think about who his roommate would be. Instead, he wanted to take a shower and relax a little. He grabbed his towel and bathroom supplies that he'd brought from home and walked into the bathroom. As he figured, the bathroom joined their room to another room. It only had enough space for a toilet, shower/bathtub, as well as a few sinks and a mirror yet was to be shared by four boys. After shutting the door to the bathroom, he undressed and got in the shower.

**NS**

Naruto walked into his room to see that his roommate was already there. He could hear the shower, so he figured that he was in there. As he opened the closet Naruto felt a hated the feeling in his stomach, it wasn't just because of all the dark colors which filled it but also because he was sure he knew who wore those clothes. He frowned, as he was sure he saw what he was sure was one of Sasuke's shirts hanging up.

Sasuke turned the shower off and cursed at himself as he saw he forgot his other clothes. He looked at the bruise on his back and knew he couldn't go out there without a shirt on. He knew he heard someone come in so he quickly pulled on the shirt he was wearing earlier, figuring his roommate wouldn't know the difference. He quickly put on what he was wearing before and walked out into the room.

Both boys' eyes widened when they saw each other, Sasuke's more than Naruto's. "Damn it," Naruto said as he saw Sasuke. They glared at each other, both seeing their enemy. "I can't believe my luck," the blonde crossed his arms.

"You're luck?" Sasuke scoffed as he went over to his bed. He ran a hand through his hair, wishing it would be some sort of mistake. "Trust me dobe, I'm the unlucky one in this room," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Must you do that already," Naruto growled as he clenched his fists.

"Do what?" Sasuke teased with a smirk. He figured if Naruto was going to hate him anyway, might as well give him something to hate.

"You're acting like a jerk," Naruto shouted. "And you've only said a few sentences," he added, just making Sasuke smirk more.

"I will when you stop being annoying," Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto started getting more in his face. "Listen, I'm not happy we're roomed together either," he sighed as he rubbed his forehead, trying to make his headache go away.

Naruto glared at his dark haired roommate as he mumbled, "You're the annoying one." Sasuke didn't respond, instead just sat on his bed and ignored the blonde. Naruto watched as Sasuke pulled out his journal.

Sasuke figured that Naruto would see the journal eventually so there was no point in hiding it. He'd been keeping the journal ever since his "traumatic event." That was what they called it, because no one would talk about his parents' death. His therapist and Kakashi would try; however, he just put up his walls. Kakashi made him go to a therapist and the only opening up he did to her was through his journal that she made him keep.

"You keep a journal?" Naruto asked as he stared at Sasuke.

"Hn," was all Sasuke said as he continued to write. He didn't even look up at the blonde, though he could feel the blue eyes staring at him.

"Why? Isn't that a little girly?" Naruto teased.

"None of your business," Sasuke glared, happy he hadn't found the nightlight yet. He protected his journal as the blonde eyed it. Sasuke promised himself only he and his therapist would see what's inside it.

Naruto tried to think of a come back, but instead his eyes zoned in on a nightlight, "Is that a nightlight?" He couldn't help but laugh, the almighty Sasuke Uchiha still had a nightlight.

"Shut up dobe," he glared.

"Seriously, a nightlight, what are you five?" Naruto grinned thinking he could use this against him in the future.

Sasuke knew he had think fast, so he said the first thing that popped into his mind, "I use it so I don't have to turn the light on to get up for the bath room at night, is that a problem?" His voice was lethal in the way he said it, ending the conversation right there.

Naruto rolled his eyes at his dark haired roommate, saying, "Whatever." However, he couldn't help but think it wasn't true. First off, he was being way to secretive with the journal and then the guy had a nightlight. It was all a little strange. Rather than thinking about it, he decided that he needed to get out of the room. He grabbed his key and his phone and walked out of the room.

'_What dorm room are you in?'_ He text Kiba, hoping that he'd already got to the school and to his room. A few moments later, he received a text saying, _'Konoha Hall 321.' _He smiled as he made his way down the hall; happy someone he knew was his floor.

He knocked on the door and Shino opened the door. "Let me in, please, I need to get out of my room. You'll never believe who my roommate is," Naruto said with a sigh as he pushed his way into the room.

"Good to see you too," Shino said as he shut the door.

"Who's you're roommate?" Kiba asked with a laugh, though he had a feeling he knew because of how Naruto was acting.

"Sasuke," Naruto said as he collapsed on one of the beds.

Kiba sat down as he said, "Alright I'm here, and you can complain all you want."

Naruto smiled, "I knew there was a reason you were my best friend."

**TBC...**

**Let me know if you still like it...**


	3. Friends

**Shelly's Note: This chapter didn't really change, except I made them stuck together a full year (two semesters) instead of one… I also added a little scene because of what was added last chapter and Naruto is a bit of a blabber mouth, it doesn't change it much though, so if you remember what happened you can skip it, if not you can read it…I figured it made more sense to have them stuck together a full year since new students don't start until the fall…however, because of winter break I will probably make this story move a little slower than I originally planned to…**

**I originally meant to have this up a lot faster. The thing is first I had exams and then I got sick with the flu and haven't been on my computer for days…It was seriously the worst flu I've ever had and I had to take a final while still sort of having it, which sucked…But now I'm updating and I promise the next update will be super fast because I made you guys wait for this one. **

**Also, thank you to all that reviewed, I do appreciate it. I think I got around to replying to most. I hope you all like this chapter. **

**As always, I own nothing, enjoy and please review...**

**Chapter 3: Friends**

Sasuke was lying on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. He couldn't believe that the one person he didn't want as his roommate was whom he got as a roommate. Actually, he could, because that was just his luck. He went from abusive to idiot, but at least he was moving up, he could handle annoying. He had shoved his journal in the space between his bed and the wall, hoping the blonde wouldn't find it after he covered it with the blanket. Naruto was the last person he wanted knowing all his personal thoughts. He didn't want the idiot reading it and taking pity on him, he didn't need his pity.

Sasuke's phone went off, signaling a text message. He saw it was from his friend Suigetsu, it asked, _'What room are you in?' _He quickly replied with his room number and which hall, knowing that the light haired teen would be there soon if he were asking.

Suigetsu was his only friend that knew what Orochimaru did to him. He was also the only friend who knew the whole story about his parents. While he hung out with two other people, Karin and Juugo, he didn't tell them everything. Suigetsu just happened to come over when Orochimaru was hurting him, he tried to cover it up, but he saw right through it and made him explain everything.

A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. Sasuke opened it and saw Suigetsu standing in front of him with a smile on his face as Sasuke moved aside so he could come in. Suigetsu looked at the bed across from Sasuke's, saw it was already messy, and decorated in orange, "Who's your roommate?" The light haired teen had a feeling he knew, but he hoped for Sasuke's sanity he was wrong.

Sasuke glared at him as he closed the door and sat on his bed, "Who else likes orange that much?"

"Naruto's your roommate," he laughed, though Sasuke didn't see the humor in it. Suigetsu sat next to him as he looked around the small dorm room. All the dorm rooms were the same size and looked as if they were trying to compact every student into a small space. However, it was a small college so he couldn't blame them. Every student staying in the dorms had to have a meal plan, which in the school's mind made it so that there didn't have to be a kitchen in the dorms. There was only a small seating area, a place to sleep and the bathroom, which connected the two rooms. It reminded Sasuke a little bit of a hotel room, just with a bathroom that was connected to another room. The room had a desk in it and a place for students to put their clothes, though there wasn't much else for furniture that wasn't necessary.

"Please don't remind me," Sasuke shook his head. Suigetsu just laughed as his friend's misery. He knew how much Sasuke hated Naruto and vice versa. Everyone who went to their high school knew about their "rivalry" though no one knew who had started it. Sasuke said it was the blonde and Naruto claimed it was all Sasuke's fault.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Suigetsu asked. He never could understand Sasuke and Naruto's relationship, the two never communicated and yet they hated each other. All they ever did was fight when they were around each other, he wondered if they every even tried being civil.

"Because, he hates me, the dobe started it," Sasuke crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"You do realize you sound just like him right now," he pointed out. Sasuke glared at him rather than answering and Suigetsu knew he wasn't going to make any progress. "Fine have it your way," he sighed.

"Well what am I supposed to do the guy hates me for no reason," Sasuke snapped. They both knew there was a reason.

"Sasuke maybe it's just because he only ever sees you with your walls up," Suigetsu frowned at him. He knew what he was suggesting wouldn't go over well with Sasuke. "I'm not saying, tell him everything, I'm just saying maybe be a little nicer."

"Thanks, but I think it's too late for that advice," the dark haired teen looked away. "He already hates me and I don't care to change his mind."

**NS**

"Tell me what happened," Kiba said as he looked at Naruto. He knew anything having to do with Sasuke, would make the blonde rant.

"He just pisses me off," Naruto said as he stood up and started pacing back and forth. Kiba watched him finding the whole thing entertaining. "It's like he thinks he's just above everyone else."

"What does he do?" Shino asked. The dark haired teen had always been quiet, so he hadn't ever made many friends or enemies.

"He calls me dobe and teases me all the time," Naruto practically pouted as he said.

Shino looked at him and shook his head while Kiba just laughed. "Have you ever tried being the bastard's friend?" Kiba asked.

"No," he mumbled, though they all knew that answer. None of them had ever really given Sasuke a chance. He was the guy that all the girls fawned over, got perfect grades, and appeared to have the perfect life. However, none of them really knew anything about him. Sasuke only had three people he considered friends, so Kiba figured he couldn't be perfect. Appearances can be misleading.

"Maybe you should try," Shino suggested.

"Aren't you supposed to be the quiet one?" Naruto said as he turned away from them.

"He's right Naruto," Kiba said. "I hate to be the voice of reason, because well I'm usually not. However, we really don't know anything about this guy."

"I know enough," Naruto turned away, not wanting to hear anymore. "I mean we've always been in most of the same classes, I know stuck up when I see it."

"How about we invite him out one night, and if he doesn't want to or if he's a jerk the entire night we say fuck him and can hate him for the rest of the year," Kiba tried to reason with him. "I mean you only have to deal with him one year."

"No way, I'm not going out anywhere with that stuck up bastard," Naruto argued. "And you make one year sound short, that's two semesters! Two semesters with the bastard, who by the way, has a nightlight."

"A nightlight?" Kiba laughed, almost not believing Naruto because he knew how much he hated Sasuke.

"Yes, he gave some lame excuse about getting up to the bathroom at night," Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, I don't care about his nightlight, I just want to go out tonight, and so let's go to your place so you can get changed. I'm not taking you to a party wearing that ugly orange shirt," Kiba sighed at his friend's stubbornness and his ability to change the subject.

"Glad you see it my way," Naruto smiled as Kiba checked himself over in the mirror quickly. The blonde smiled at the fact that Kiba seemed to have given up on him trying to be friends with Sasuke. He knew it just wasn't going to happen.

"Yeah, whatever, if we leave soon we can go get dinner before it starts," Kiba rolled his eyes.

"Are you coming Shino?" Naruto asked as they started to head out of the room.

"Nope, that's okay, have fun," Shino said as they walked out of the room.

The two boys walked down the hall and into room 331. Sasuke and Suigetsu were talking, though they immediately silenced as Naruto and Kiba walked in. "You don't have to stop talking just because we came in," Kiba said.

Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other a moment. "So what are you guys up to tonight?" Suigetsu asked, hoping to break the tension as Naruto picked out something to wear.

"We're going to a party, you guys want to come?" Kiba grinned. "There will be alcohol."

Sasuke was about to say no, however, Suigetsu cut him off by saying, "That sounds like fun, we'd love to."

"Awesome, the more the merrier, right Naruto?" Kiba smirked as Naruto sent him a death glare.

Sasuke was sending Suigetsu his infamous glare, though he was unfazed by it, as he'd received it so often over the years. "You better get dressed Sasuke," Suigetsu said as he looked at what the Uchiha was wearing. Sasuke continued to glare at him, refusing to move. Suigetsu went to the closet, pulling out what he knew to be one of Sasuke's favorite shirts and a pair of tight black pants. "Just go get dressed," said Suigetsu, as he threw the clothes at him. Sasuke grabbed the clothes and made his way to the bathroom.

Kiba just smirked, "This should be fun."

Suigetsu just nodded, though he didn't know if fun was the word he would use to describe how the night would be. With Naruto and Sasuke present, he would say it would be more unpredictable.

**TBC...**

**Let me know if the story is still going good...if you still like it or if there is something that I need to fix...or if you have any ideas you want to throw out that you'd like to see happen between these two roommates throw them out and maybe I'll use them...you will get credit if I do...I do have places I could throw in extra scenes and I am still outlining so if you want to see something happen, feel free to say so..**


	4. Party

**Shelly's Note: This chapter was inspired from an idea from a review when it was originally posted, the review was from LLAMAS WILL RULE THE WORD, who thought Suigetsu and Kiba should ditch Naruto and Sasuke, forcing them to be alone…I was already going to do something similar so it worked.**

**Also, any pairing you wish to see, let me know…I'm pretty open on pairings…KibaHina and NaruSasu are pretty much set but if you want to suggest others that I may not have thought of go right ahead… however if you suggest a really out there pairing please give a reason or a situation in which you think I could put them in to make it happen – in other words convince me...that can really go for any pairing really **

**One tiny thing changed in this, but you'll have to read it to see, because I know I have some new readers and I don't want to give it away…it's not something that changes the story, just makes it flow better…If you don't want to reread the chapter, PM me or review asking and I'll respond and I'll gladly tell you**

**As always, I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 4: Party**

"We're here to eat dinner, not glare at each other," Suigetsu said as he looked at Sasuke and Naruto, who had moved their chairs so far apart it looked as if there was supposed to be another chair between them. Kiba was starting to think that maybe going to dinner was a bad idea; sure, he knew that dinner would mean they could drink more because they had something to eat, but it also meant awkward silence with Naruto and Sasuke.

"We can do both," Naruto said, refusing to lose to Sasuke.

"Can't we try to talk?" Suigetsu asked.

"No," Sasuke said as he continued to glare at Naruto.

"Give up man these two are just too stubborn. I mean if they just want to stare into each other's eyes all night, let them," Kiba smirked. Almost immediately, both Sasuke and Naruto looked away. Naruto sank into his chair, mumbling about bastards and eyes. Kiba just laughed and asked, "What was that Naruto?"

"I was not looking into that bastard's eyes," he said, fighting the blush that was trying to appear. He looked over at Sasuke who seemed practically unfazed by it, as he did by everything.

"What about you Sasuke were you staring into Naruto's eyes?" Kiba laughed as he looked at Sasuke, knowing very well that the dark haired teen may choose to hurt him.

"Shut up, dog boy," Sasuke rolled his eyes. Kiba just smirked; he was having way too much fun messing with the two of them.

Naruto and Sasuke were all too happy when the food they had ordered earlier, came and took some of the attention away from them. Kiba smiled when the tall, longhaired, and big-breasted waitress came to their table to give them their food. "Thank you," he said with a grin, trying not to sound as perverted as he felt as he watched her walk away. "Man she was hot," he said.

"I couldn't tell, all I could see were her tits," Suigetsu laughed.

Naruto just remained quiet as Suigetsu and Kiba went on about the woman, he hated when Kiba did that. He found it annoying, after all, he didn't go on about every hot guy he saw, Kiba shouldn't do so about every hot girl he sees.

"What do you think Sasuke?" Kiba asked. Suigetsu almost laughed at the question, but he held it in when Sasuke glared at him.

"Hn," he shrugged as he continued to eat. Kiba looked at him skeptically, as if no straight man could just say that about the girl.

"That's it?" he asked in disbelief. "You had to think she was hot."

"Actually her face was quite ugly, all you were looking at was her breasts," Sasuke said. Naruto bit his lip, not wanting to laugh at something Sasuke had said, even if it was true and the expression on Kiba's face was priceless.

Instead of laughing, Naruto settled on saying, "I thought you liked Hinata." He knew that would get the dog lover going.

"I do like Hinata, but she sees me as just a friend," he sighed and played with the food that was left on his plate.

"Ever thought it's because of the way you look at other girls?" Sasuke asked. "Or is she just still hung up on the dobe?"

Naruto glared at him because of the second question. "She doesn't like me, why does everyone think that?"

"Why are you so oblivious?" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I hardly paid attention to our peers in high school and even I could tell that she liked you."

"Trust me I'm not her type," Naruto said, causing Kiba to laugh.

"Don't you mean she's not your type," Kiba corrected with another laugh.

"Shut up," Naruto said as he looked away from the table. He saw the waitress and called her over, "Can we get the check please?" he asked and she nodded and walked away to get the check. "We should get going if we're going to make it to the party," he said, feeling the need to explain his actions.

**NS**

They arrived at the party shortly after finishing dinner. The music was loud the lights were low and there was a lot of alcohol. "I'm going to go get us all some drinks," Kiba said over the music.

"I'll help you," Suigetsu smirked at him. They walked away and Suigetsu said, "Let's leave them there for awhile.

"I like the way you think," Kiba laughed.

"Naruto's gay isn't he?" Suigetsu asked bluntly, shocking Kiba.

"How'd you know?" Kiba asked, unsure if he should reveal his friend's secrete.

"He didn't say anything about the girl," Suigetsu pointed out. "Like Sasuke."

"Whoa, wait, Sasuke Uchiha is gay? You're lying," Kiba said, feeling a little stupid that he didn't notice it before.

"Have you ever seen him with a girl?" Suigetsu asked.

"That Karin chick," Kiba said lamely, which earned him a look. "Okay, no."

"Exactly," Suigetsu said. "So the way I see it, this should be interesting," he laughed.

"I'd say the same, if they were attracted to each other," Kiba said skeptically.

"Any time you put Sasuke and Naruto together, it's bound to be interesting in one way or another, right?" Suigetsu asked with a shrug.

"We'll stop them before they kill each other, right?" Kiba asked with a slight smile.

"If we have to," Suigetsu laughed as he watched Sasuke and Naruto standing where they left them.

Naruto looked around trying to find Kiba and Suigetsu, but couldn't. He frowned because he didn't see anyone else he knew that he could ditch the Uchiha for either. "I don't think they're coming back," Sasuke's voice said from behind him.

"Do you know anyone else at this party?" Naruto asked, hoping he could pawn Sasuke off on someone.

"Besides the two idiots that ditched us, no," Sasuke crossed his arms. He knew there was a reason that he didn't want to go to this party.

"Look I don't like this any more than you do, but at least help me try to find our friends," Naruto said.

Before Sasuke to answer, the lights went dark. Sasuke's heart rate skyrocketed, as Orochimaru's words kept replaying repeatedly in his head, _"Even if you aren't you'll still see me again."_ He was right, he saw him every time he closed his eyes or the lights went out. Soon enough a strobe light came on, providing light, but it wasn't enough. Sasuke stood, as if he were paralyzed. "Sorry about that, someone stepped on the cord," they heard someone say about their short-lived period of darkness.

"Sasuke are you okay?" snapped him out of it and he looked toward Naruto who was calling his name.

"What?" he asked, he knew he could hardly hide the look of fear on his face. He had also started to get restless, as if he needed to move. He was playing with his hands and biting his lip so hard he thought it might bleed.

"I've been calling your name like five minutes and you didn't respond," Naruto explained. He was genuinely worried, though didn't know why.

"I have to go," Sasuke said quickly as he forced his way out of the party. Naruto knew something was wrong and that he had to find Suigetsu. All Naruto could think was this had something to do with the nightlight, but he didn't have enough information to put the pieces together.

**NS**

When the lights went out, Suigetsu cursed. He knew there was a reason that he shouldn't have left Sasuke. "I have to find Sasuke," he said to Kiba.

"Why?" Kiba asked, obviously not understanding. He knew that he couldn't explain, it wasn't his story to tell.

"I can't explain that, I just have to find him," he said as he headed for the spot that he left him.

By the time he got there, he found only Naruto, looking around. The blonde looked confused. "Naruto where's Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked. The light haired teen was hoping that Sasuke hadn't gone far.

"He said he had to go after the lights went out for a moment," Naruto said. "I tried to get his attention, but he hardly paid attention to me. He kept fidgeting then left," the blonde explained.

"I have to go find him," Suigetsu said as he walked away. Both Naruto and Kiba looked at him as he hurried off in the direction that Sasuke had disappeared.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked. He was completely confused as to what had just happened.

"I have no clue," Kiba admitted as he continued to stare at the place where Suigetsu had just stood.

"Well let's go after them," Naruto said, extremely curious as to what his roommate was hiding.

"Let's not, I think they need some room," Kiba said as he made Naruto stop. Naruto looked at him, unsure if he was right. Instead of arguing, he just nodded.

"Fine, but I need a drink," he sighed. Kiba smiled at his friend. He wasn't sure what was going on with Sasuke, but he knew if he wanted him or Naruto to know, then he would have told them.

**TBC...**

**Tell me what you think...**


	5. Drunken Naruto

**Shelly's note: A little bit of inspiration came from a review from when the story was first posted, Forgettable Flame, who mentioned Naruto, annoying and drunk, don't know if they really wanted all it together as one but since the rest of what they said didn't work I just kind of threw all that together and came up with something, because who doesn't like a drunk Naruto...**

**I kind of liked this chapter, because Naruto drunk is fun so it's not changed really at all…I added a few sentences here and there, but probably not much to actually change the chapter…**

**I may start to update faster, perhaps every few days – sometimes maybe sooner – but that doesn't mean that if I post a few chapters really close together that I wouldn't appreciate it if all the chapters posted were reviewed **

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 5: Drunken Naruto**

Suigetsu found Sasuke walking back to his dorm. He had to run to catch up to him, but he eventually did. "Sasuke," he called once he came into sight. It took a few times before Sasuke seemed to hear him and stop.

Sasuke turned around and Suigetsu behind him, obviously worried. He was out of breath as they stood for a moment in silence, "What?" Sasuke asked his voice shaky.

"Talk to me, I know that you were freaked out back there," Suigetsu frowned at the fact that Sasuke seemed to be putting up his wall again, even around him.

"I'm fine," Sasuke said as he turned to walk away. Suigetsu grabbed his arm, causing Sasuke to flinch and yell, "Don't touch me!"

"Sasuke it's me, you know I won't hurt you," Suigetsu said gently as he let him go, not wanting to freak the other out more than he already was.

"I thought you wouldn't ditch me either," he looked down, his voice showing more vulnerability than he wanted and his eyes showing a sense of betrayal as he stared at Suigetsu. The young Uchiha backed away from him, feeling uncomfortable.

"Sasuke, it's not like I knew that was going to happen," he stepped forward. "Moreover, when it did, I looked for you right away," he assured his friend, knowing what a delicate state he was in at that moment. Sasuke hated feeling weak, but that was all he felt at that moment, as he sat down on the curb and put his head in his hands.

"I can't get his voice out of my head," he admitted. Sasuke knew that Suigetsu would know exactly whom he meant, that he wouldn't have to explain any further.

The light haired teen sat next to him, giving him a shoulder to lean on. "He can't hurt you anymore," he assured him, though he knew that it would be a battle Sasuke would fight for a long time. "Let's get you back to the dorms," he tried to smile, just to make Sasuke feel better if nothing else. Sasuke nodded as he let Suigetsu help him up and get him to his dorm.

**NS**

A few hours after Sasuke and Suigetsu had left, Kiba watched as Naruto made a fool of his self. He was well over his limit in alcohol and he probably should have made him leave long ago, however, Kiba saw it as pay back for the last party they went to and made sure to get plenty of blackmail material. "Come on Naruto, let's go," Kiba said as he pulled the blonde off a table.

"But I don't want to," Naruto slurred as he stumbled off and into a group of people that he didn't know. Kiba straightened him out and pushed him towards the exit, ignoring his protests.

"Trust me, you've reached your limit," Kiba said as he guided Naruto towards the dorms. Luckily, he only had two drinks and was still able to navigate them both.

"Tonight was fun," he slurred, dragging out fun as he leaned on Kiba for support. The dog lover was thanking whoever invented elevators; because once they got to the dorms, he was sure they were going to need them to get the blonde to the third floor.

"Too bad you won't remember it," Kiba gave a small laugh as he adjusted the blonde into a more comfortable position.

"I'll remember," Naruto argued as he tripped over his own feet.

Kiba caught him as he asked, "Really, what will you remember?"

They continued to walk and Naruto thought about it. He had trouble finding the words as he slurred, "Music, dancing, and Sasuke was there."

"Of course you'll remember Sasuke," he chuckled as he rolled his eyes.

"Who wouldn't remember that face?" the blonde smiled with slur.

Kiba's eyes widened, as he looked at Naruto, almost tripping as he said, "I thought he was a bastard."

"But he's hot," Naruto said with a drunken grin on his face.

"I'll remember that, maybe I can get him to strip for you for your birthday," Kiba laughed as he found drunken Naruto was becoming an even more open Naruto, if that was possible. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation at all, especially with drunk Naruto.

"That'd be awesome," Naruto gave a half drunk and half-perverted grin, which Kiba found made him uncomfortable. He decided that all conversation about Sasuke had to end right there. He really didn't need to know any more information about how Naruto truly felt about the dark haired teen.

**NS**

There was a knock on the door at two in the morning. Sasuke was going to kill whoever it was. He had just gotten to sleep an hour ago after Suigetsu made him talk and then trying to get the voice out of his head. He thought he'd never get to sleep and then once he did some moron knocks on his door. He pulled it open to see Kiba standing in the doorway with a very drunk Naruto. "What?" he practically growled at the two guys in front of him.

"I'm not digging in his pockets to find his key," Kiba said as he pushed Naruto into Sasuke's arms. "He's your problem now." Sasuke glared at Kiba as he walked toward his dorm room.

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto said as he started to play with Sasuke's hair. He was smiling like an idiot as he said, "Your hair's soft."

"You're a moron," Sasuke rolled his eyes as he kicked the door shut with one leg and carried the blonde over to his bed.

"You're hot," Naruto giggled as he was dropped onto his bed.

"You're drunk, go to sleep," Sasuke rolled his eyes as he crawled back into his bed before reaching for the light to turn off.

"Hey Sasuke," came from the other side of the room.

"What," he sighed in annoyance.

"Let's play a game," he said in a voice that was far too happy for Sasuke's liking. He really couldn't believe his bad luck in roommates.

"No, go to sleep," growled Sasuke as he turned away from the blonde to look toward the window. All he could think was, _'Obviously someone's a happy drunk.'_

"Come on, please," he whined, dragging out please.

"Shut up," Sasuke put his pillow over his head, wishing for silence. There was a moment of silence then he felt his bed move. "What the hell," he said when he looked to see Naruto next to him.

"I want to play a game," he demanded.

"Go back to your own bed," Sasuke moved away from the blonde, blushing at the ideas that rushed to his mind when he thought of the games he could play with the blonde. He wasn't sure why his mind went there, but he knew he had to get it on a different track fast.

"Why do I scare you," Naruto teased with only a slight slur. Sasuke kicked the blonde off his bed, literally. "You jack ass," Naruto whined as he climbed back on his own bed.

"I told you go back to your own bed," Sasuke mumbled as he felt his heart rate accelerate. However, a moment later he knew the blonde didn't hear him as he heard snoring fill the room. He just shook his head knowing that there was no way he was getting to sleep that night.

**NS**

Sasuke woke up to the sound of Naruto throwing up. He got up and looked toward the bathroom, "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," Naruto said. His head was pounding, though his stomach seemed to have settled down. He brushed his teeth as he made his way back to his bed and collapsed. "I wasn't too annoying last night was I?"

"Oh not all," Sasuke said sarcastically.

"Oh god, what'd I do?" Naruto asked, scared to know what the answer may be.

"You wanted to play a game," Sasuke shrugged, figuring out he'd leave out the part about him saying he's hot and had soft hair. He hoped the blonde wouldn't see a reaction out of him when he mentioned playing a game, because he knew where his thoughts went that night.

"Sorry," Naruto said as he hid his face in his pillow.

"Its fine, you were drunk," Sasuke said. There was a moment of silence, Sasuke grabbed one of the books he brought with him that wasn't for class and started reading.

"Was that all I said?" Naruto asked, worried that he may have said something stupid. He knew he thought Sasuke was hot, but he didn't want Sasuke to know that.

"Yeah that was all," Sasuke said, refusing to look at him. He didn't believe him, but he figured not to push it. He remembered that Sasuke had disappeared before he'd gotten drunk and he wanted to ask him why, but he figured it wasn't the best time. They already felt awkward around each other; he didn't want to make it worse.

**TBC...**

**So let me know what you think, do you like it? Hate it? And as always, ideas are welcome, because I love hearing from the readers and will try to use most ideas in some way shape or form...try being the key word because it has to fit with my ideas for the story**

**Also, don't forget if you want a say in what pairings you'll see in the story start requesting them **


	6. Football

**Shelly's Note: Thanks to those who review, if I get the chapter I'm working on done, I may post two chapters today…we are close to where previously posted story left off**

**This chapter wasn't changed from the original really, if you remember it feel free to skip over it…**

**Football in this chapter, means American football just making sure that is clear **

**As usual I don't own anything, enjoy and please review...**

**Idea of football from a review from when this was previously posted from zooki, just a twist of the idea they gave me**

**Don't forget if you want to see a certain couple, request it and explain why you think it'll work…someone said Suigetsu and Kbia, if you agree let me know and maybe I can work with it – but explain why preferably soon as I am planning chapters right now **

**Chapter 6: Football**

Sasuke and Naruto sat in silence, each minding their own business. Naruto was listening to his MP3 player and Sasuke was reading a book when a knock on the door made the dark haired teen sigh, put his book down and get up. Once he opened the door, he saw two red shirts that read _freshmen _in bold letters. They were then lowered to show Suigetsu and Kiba standing in front of him.

"Don't tell me you two are friends," Sasuke said as he looked at them and they smiled dumbly back at him. The two just shrugged as they pushed their way into the room.

"Guess what we've got for you," Kiba smiled.

"Besides a headache you mean?" Sasuke sarcastically stated, causing Suigetsu to roll his eyes.

"Oh come on you didn't even drink the other night and even if you did it was two nights ago, plenty of time to recover, right Naruto?" Kiba smirked evilly.

"Oh god, what do you have planned?" Naruto asked, as he looked at the two, happy that they didn't try to pull this off the previous day.

"The school has welcome actives planned for all new and returning students and we got us shirts," Kiba said as he held up a bright red shirt.

"The freshmen get red so they stand out," Suigetsu explained as Sasuke looked at the color.

"Wonderful," Naruto glared.

"I'm not wearing that," Sasuke hissed as he crossed his arms.

"Come on, it's just for one game of football, it'll be fun," Kiba pleaded.

"Just get dressed and meet us at Kiba's dorm in twenty minutes, we're going to get some more people," Suigetsu demanded as he threw them the shirts.

"Wear something you don't mind getting dirty," Kiba reminded with a laugh as he walked out of the room.

There was a moment of silence before Naruto asked, "Why are we friends with them?"

"I don't know," Sasuke admitted.

Normally, Naruto would be up for football, but not the day after he'd just had a massive hangover the day before. He was finally feeling okay and he just wanted to relax. Moreover, it meant spending the day with Sasuke. It was bad enough that Sasuke had left with no explanation at the party, but he also had a feeling there was a lot he wasn't telling him. He tried to brush it off and act natural, but it was difficult at times.

"We'd better get ready I guess," Naruto said as he forced himself out of bed. Sasuke nodded, but didn't seem happy about the situation.

"Sasuke took over the bathroom, so Naruto figured he'd just change in the room. He didn't care if Sasuke walked in on him, after all they were both guys and he was rather proud of his body. He was almost dressed when the bathroom door opened. The blonde stopped his actions as his and Sasuke's eyes met.

"You can stop stripping in the middle of the room, the bathroom is open," Sasuke said as his eyes looked over Naruto's bare chest.

Naruto smirked as he saw Sasuke's reaction, "Why, we're both guys right?" He stepped forward a bit, "So if I want to strip in the middle of the room I should be able to strip right?"

"Doesn't mean that I want to see you naked," Sasuke said as he made himself look away. As annoying as he found Naruto at times, even he couldn't deny that he found him attractive.

"Then don't look," he shrugged as he walked away and continued to get dressed, surprised, and yet pleased, by the reaction he got from Sasuke.

Sasuke tried to keep his eyes anywhere by the blonde as he felt his cheeks heat a little from what Naruto said. He was right, if he didn't want to see it, then he shouldn't look. However, it was easier said than done. "We should head over to Kiba's," he tried to change the subject.

"He said twenty minutes," he pointed out.

"I'm sure his roommate is there," Sasuke glared as he grabbed his room key and phone and shoved it into his pocket.

"Fine let's go," Naruto sighed and grabbed his things before leaving the room.

"What room is he in?" Sasuke asked. Naruto didn't answer, pissing him off in the process. They got to the room and Naruto knocked on the door, a few moments later, Shino answered. He was also wearing the bright red shirt with made Naruto smile.

"They got you too," Naruto more stated than asked as he let them in.

"Unfortunately," he confirmed.

"Who else?" He asked.

"I think they signed up more Sasuke's friend, Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, Neji and Gaara. And I'm sure they are recruiting more," Shino answered.

"In other words their friends and their roommates," Sasuke added.

"Probably," Shino nodded.

"I wish I could see Gaara's face when they try to force him," Naruto laughed.

"Me too," Sasuke smirked, knowing how the redhead could be.

**NS**

Sasuke couldn't believe they had gotten a team together and that they were walking to the football field. Sasuke walked behind the rest of the group that Kiba and Suigetsu had gathered which Suigetsu noticed and immediately started walking with him, "Is something wrong?"

Sasuke paused before answering, as if looking for the right words, "I don't know. You can keep a secret, right?"

He looked at him in disbelief, "You know I can." He paused before looking at him, slightly worried, "What is it?"

Sasuke was unsure if he should say anything considering how drunk the blonde was the other night, but it was bothering him and he knew he could trust Suigetsu. "Well, the other night when Naruto was drunk, something happened and I feel awkward now," he admitted.

"Did you two kiss?" Suigetsu grinned dumbly, causing Sasuke to smack him on the back of the head.

"Where the hell did that come from?" he asked as he glared at him, with his cheeks slightly flushed.

"Don't tell me you don't think he's hot, I've known you for years, I know your type," Suigetsu laughed causing Sasuke to turn away to try to get his blush under control.

"Shut up," he growled. "It wasn't anything like that."

"It just sounded like that was what you were going to say," Suigetsu teased.

"Well it wasn't," Sasuke took a deep breath regaining his composure. "It doesn't matter anyway; he was drunk, I'm sure he didn't know what he was saying."

"What'd he say?" Suigetsu said interested as to what could make Sasuke feel awkward.

"He called me hot and he said I had soft hair," Sasuke sighed. "It's nothing I'm sure."

Suigetsu laughed, "Yeah, I mean every straight girl and gay guy thinks you're at least a little hot."

"Naruto's gay?" Sasuke's eyes widened.

Suigetsu stopped talking for a moment, realizing it was not his place to say anything, "Forget I said anything." However, Sasuke couldn't forget the newly obtained information.

**NS**

Once they got to the football felid, Sasuke asked, "How did you get this many people in this short of time?" He was annoyed at his friend's persuasiveness.

"It was easy, we said Sasuke would be there and all the girls came, except Hinata came for Naruto," Suigetsu grinned, which made Sasuke want to smack him again.

"I hate you," Sasuke glared.

"Gaara came because we told him he might be able to see someone get hurt," Kiba explained.

"Great, now we have too many people," Naruto said. "Eleven make a team you moron."

"So one on the bench as coach and four cheerleaders," Kiba smiled at the girls.

"Who's on the bench?" Naruto asked.

"I will," Shikamaru gave a yawn.

"There he can act as coach, it's perfect, he's smart," Kiba smiled and Naruto looked at him doubtfully.

When the sophomore team came, they found they had only ten people. "Our teams are uneven," Temari, Gaara's older sister and the sophomore captain said.

"Only eleven of us will play," Kiba shrugged.

"Have one of yours come to our side," she ordered.

"Fine pick one," he said dumbly.

She smirked before pointing to Sasuke, "Come on duck butt."

"Not him," Naruto said, knowing he was a good athlete.

"Too late," she smiled. Sasuke gave them all a look that clearly said _'I hate you all' _as he walked to the other team.

Juugo, Neji, Suigetsu, Lee, Shino, Choji, Gaara, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sai all looked at Kiba as if he were a moron. "What, she always had a thing for Shikamaru before I thought she'd pick him," Kiba said with a huff.

"Well we can still cheer on Sasuke," Sakura said. Naruto just rolled his eyes knowing that at least he had Hinata on his side, even if Karin, Ino, and Sakura were there only for Sasuke. He knew that Sasuke wouldn't go easy on him because he was far too competitive for that.

**NS**

After an hour of playing, Naruto realized that he couldn't let Sasuke run with the ball because he was just too fast for them. "We need to stop Sasuke at all costs; he's who they're using right now," Naruto said to his team as they all agreed.

The down started and the ball was passed right to Sasuke. Naruto knew he had to tackle him right when he got the ball or he'd have no chance of catching him. He ran and leaped, happy not to make contact with the ground. He looked down to see Sasuke underneath him, which he found to be quite the sight. His black hair was spread out on the ground as his black eyes stared up at him.

Sasuke felt his heart race a little more as he looked up to see Naruto staring down at him with his piercing blue eyes. "Okay, I'm tackled, you can get off me now," he said as he tried to tame the blush that threatened his face. It was difficult when an attractive and gay blonde was straddling him. It seemed that with Naruto in the picture, he had been blushing more and more lately and he didn't know why, because it wasn't like him at all. He was not supposed to blush; he wasn't supposed to feel at all especially for someone like Naruto.

"Oh, right, sorry," Naruto smiled as he quickly got up. He then helped Sasuke up, but refused to look him in the eyes. Everyone stared at them as they came back to the game, but no one dared to say anything, even if they were thinking things.

**TBC...**


	7. Bruises

**Shelly's Note: As you can see I raised the rating on this story, as I make them cuss a lot, maybe not as much in the earlier chapters but it does pick up as it progresses I think, also I may make Sasuke go into explaining his abuse later in the story…also I'm not sure what'll happen with him and Naruto once they become a couple – which is still very far away – so it is raised for now, if I don't go into the abuse or nothing happens that I feel is explicit enough between Naruto and Sasuke, I will lower it again – but that will be far down the road I'm raising it so I don't have to worry what I write while I plan and write the chapters **

**You guys are in luck, I was writing a new chapter, number 13, and I was checking to see how long it was getting and it was almost 3000 words…. to keep my chapters around even, I cut it off at a little over 1700…the other material will still be kept, either it will be added to the chapter that was planned already or a new chapter will be added…also you guys get two chapters posted in one day! **

**Since I was nice enough to post two chapters in one day, you should be nice enough to review all those chapters you have read…. really it's like three considering how late I posted last night – somewhere around 10 or 11 pm **

**I'm not sure what I changed in this chapter I don't think really anything…**

**As always, I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Sorry this chapter is short**

**Chapter 7: Bruises**

Sasuke leaned over the sink, half-naked, as he stood in the bathroom. It was the day before classes started and he was trying to find some peace and quiet. Ever since Suigetsu and Kiba became friends, they dragged him and Naruto everywhere, trying to get them to be friends too. He didn't want to be friends though, he had enough friends and it worried him that he felt any kind of attraction towards Naruto. Sasuke felt that he didn't need to be hanging out with him more than was necessary.

Attraction was something new to him; he usually didn't let people close enough to him to feel anything. He didn't think that he had let Naruto close, yet he was making him blush and his heart race a little faster. The Uchiha splashed water on his face, as if it would wash away all his thoughts and worries. "Damn it," he said to himself as he looked into the mirror. He could still see the bruises Orochimaru left, though they were fading a little, they were easy to see on his pale skin. He wished they would just go away. Maybe if the bruises disappeared, he could actually forget what happened, he could actually make his face vanish from his memory. He doubted it, but one could hope.

**NS**

Naruto walked into the room, annoyed to no end. He just wanted to take a shower because he felt so disgusting. _"Pay back's a bitch,"_ Kiba had said as he showed him the video or "blackmail" he'd taken on his phone of Naruto getting drunk at the party the other night. There was video of him dancing on tables, dancing with random people, making out with random people and the entire time Kiba was laughing. He just said, _"Hey at least I didn't let people do worse." _All Naruto could think was that he just didn't _show_ him anything worse.

The blonde didn't hear the shower running, so he didn't bother knocking, even though he didn't see Sasuke in the room. He seen they guys that they share a bathroom with, Chouji and Shikamaru, on his way to the room and he figured Sasuke was with his friends. Thinking that it was logical in his head, he opened the door to see Sasuke staring back. Naruto's eyes widened as he stared at Sasuke's chest not only the muscle, but the bruises on it as well. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he asked, "Why are you all bruised up?"

"Why don't you knock?" Sasuke replied with a glare as he put on his shirt. Naruto couldn't help but think that if Sasuke's chest weren't bruised it would look _very_ nice.

"I didn't think anyone was in here," Naruto answered, weakly, as he stared at Sasuke, also waiting for his answer.

"Well, you were wrong," he said as he brushed past him, angrily. "Try knocking next time," he mumbled as he started to walk away.

Naruto caught his arm and angrily pulled him to look at him, "Wait a minute, are you going to answer my question."

"I don't think it's really any of your business, but I got bruised up playing football the other day," Sasuke claimed with a straight face.

"Why don't I believe you?" Naruto asked with a frown as Sasuke pulled his arm away from the blonde.

"As I said, it's really none of your business anyway," Sasuke said.

"The hell it isn't, I'm your roommate," Naruto yelled.

"Exactly, you're my roommate, not my friend," Sasuke snapped back before walking out of the room. Naruto realized that he must have hit a sensitive subject. It just made him all the more curious about the young Uchiha.

**NS**

"Sasuke's not here right?" Naruto asked as he arrived back at Kiba's room after his shower.

"No, why?" Kiba asked. Suigetsu looked at him interested in what the blonde would say about him.

"The guy is such a jerk!" Naruto yelled as he sat down.

"What'd he do?" Suigetsu asked with a sigh.

"He didn't have the shower on so I walked in the bathroom thinking no one was in there and he was shirtless and he got all mad. Then I asked him about his bruises and he got all mad said I wasn't his friend and shit like that," Naruto explained with a huff.

"You saw his bruises?" Suigetsu's eyes widened.

"They aren't from football, are they?" Naruto asked.

"I should go," Suigetsu said quickly as he stood up, quickly recognizing his error.

"Oh, no you don't," Kiba and Naruto pushed him back to sitting down.

"I can't talk about it," Suigetsu looked down. He felt like he was betraying Sasuke just saying that much.

"The bruises are not really from football are they?" Naruto asked.

"Why do you care?" Suigetsu asked. "If he said they were from football, then they were."

"He's my roommate," Naruto sighed. "And those were not football bruises, answer me truthfully."

Suigetsu sighed as looked down before answering, "Would I have known about what bruises you were talking about if they were from football?"

Naruto frowned, hearing the answer that he didn't want to hear. "Then what are they from?" he asked weakly.

"I can't answer that, it's not my place to tell you," Suigetsu replied. "You'll have to ask him. However, know he is how he is for a reason and a good one. He just doesn't trust people."

**NS**

Naruto and Sasuke sat in their room, silent and tense. Sasuke refused to talk to the blonde after what happened. He didn't want to be asked about his bruises again and to have to explain the truth. "I don't get why you won't tell me the truth," Naruto said.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke hissed.

"Suigetsu already let it slip that those bruises aren't from football," Naruto explained as calmly as he could.

"And did he say what they _are _from?" Sasuke asked angrily.

"No, he said to ask you," Naruto frowned. "He's a better friend than to tell about something than you obviously don't want him to tell about."

"Why do you care?" Sasuke questioned.

"Because I'd like to think that if I were getting bruises from somewhere, someone would care," Naruto said.

"I thought that you hated me," Sasuke said but refused to look at him.

"It takes too much effort," Naruto smiled.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and felt his heart rate speed up. He shook his head as he realized what was going on, "Damn it. Just stay away from me."

"What I thought we were making progress again," Naruto said, confused.

"That's the problem," Sasuke said as he put his headphones on. Naruto was confused, one minute Sasuke could be completely cool then the next he was pushing him away and cold. He couldn't understand why Sasuke wouldn't let himself get close to him. There was obviously a reason though, because Suigetsu knew something and he could tell Sasuke was hiding something.

Naruto looked at Sasuke and frowned, knowing that the bruises had something to do with his behavior. He knew that he had to act normal if he was going to get the truth and if he and Sasuke were ever going to be friends. However, part of him didn't even care about being Sasuke's friend, that part just wanted to find the journal he knew that he kept and read everything that was going on with him that way. Naruto knew that just reading Sasuke's journal would be wrong, but since Sasuke wasn't telling him anything, it was becoming a tempting choice.

**TBC...**

**Shelly's End Note: I had a hard time with this chapter but I thought this needed to happen also I know a little more of what will happen next chapter so hopefully it'll be a little better...let me know what you think **


	8. School

**Note: Guess what? It's the last chapter of the previously posted chapters… I did change some things in this chapter, mostly on the Naruto/Sasuke note…their relationship is not progressing as fast as it was originally…it's somewhat of a minor change and if you don't want to read the whole chapter you can just pm me **

**Also, I just want to emphasize, if you don't give feedback on what couples you want to see happen then don't be mad when I add a couple you may not particularly be found of or may find weird, as the side couples will have a fairly large role in the story…see the end note for more…. Also, Kiba and Suigetsu have a poll on my profile now**

**Also, I want to thank all those who reviewed last chapter…even more so I want to thank the 4 who also reviewed chapter 6**

**As usual I own nothing, so enjoy and please review **

**Chapter 8: School **

Sasuke waited by his class Tuesday morning. It was his business 101 class, the one he took with Suigetsu. He was mad at him, so he was trying to avoid his so called best friend at all costs. It was the first day of the class and they promised they'd take it together so that they could help each other if needed. However, Sasuke was starting to think that he wanted nothing to do with him if all he was going to do was tell his stupid roommate things he didn't want known.

"Can I sit here?" Suigetsu asked nervously as Sasuke looked up from his place on the ground. The raven just glared as he looked away and the light haired teen sat next to him. "Please just talk to me Sasuke."

"Why should I?" he hissed.

"You're my best friend," Suigetsu pleaded.

"That's what I thought, but then you told that moron," Sasuke said in a tone that was both angry and weak. He was mad but vulnerable at the same time. "I trusted you."

"He saw them so I figured you would have told him," Suigetsu admitted. "I'm sorry. But all I said was that they weren't from football, I didn't tell him the story."

Sasuke looked at him, trying to decide if he should trust him or not. "You shouldn't have said anything," he sighed.

Suigetsu smiled, knowing that him talking to him at all was a good sign, "I know." Sasuke nodded and Suigetsu felt happy because they had come to an understanding again. He knew he wasn't going to lose his best friend and Sasuke knew that he could trust Suigetsu still.

Heavy footsteps pulled the two out of their moment. Their professor was walking down the hall, Sasuke couldn't remember his name at the moment, but the face looked oddly familiar. He had round glasses and his light hair in a ponytail. He gave them a smile as he passed Sasuke and Suigetsu in the hall, though it sent chills down the raven's spine. Behind the professor was a man who was all too familiar; it was then that Sasuke knew where he'd seen him before.

"He's one of Orochimaru's guys," he said as he locked eyes with his guardian. A wicked smirk was on the elder man's face the entire time.

"I knew something was off about him," Suigetsu said. "Sasuke we can still drop the class without it effecting our GPA."

"Just let him win?" Sasuke hissed. He glared at the door Orochimaru and their professor had just walked in. "No way, I'm done with him, I'm going to show him he doesn't control me."

"But I don't want you to do anything stupid because he's in your life, you were making progress," Suigetsu said as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you now my therapist? Just shut up," he said as he brushed the hand off and walked into the classroom. Suigetsu frowned and followed, taking a seat next to his best friend.

"Good morning class, as you can see I have written my name on the board, but you can call me Professor Kabuto," Kabuto smiled as he handed out their syllabus. "As you can see we have the President of Sound Incorporated with us and he will be our guest speaker this semester. You are all very lucky, he is a brilliant man and will help teach you a lot."

Sasuke rolled is eyes and wanted to laugh at the man's words, as he whispered to Suigetsu, "Yeah right."

By the time class was over Sasuke wanted to get as far away from the classroom and Orochimaru as possible. Orochimaru, however, had other plans, "Hello Sasuke."

"What do you want?" he growled as Suigetsu tried to calm him down, reminding them where they were.

"I thought you'd be happy to see me," He smiled, knowingly. "I mean I did tell you I'd be seeing you."

"Go to hell," Sasuke said as he pushed his way out of the classroom, needing to get away.

"Way to stay calm," said Suigetsu as he caught up to the dark haired teen.

"Shut up," he frowned. He knew he shouldn't have went off on him like that, as it only gave him the satisfaction of getting under his skin, but he couldn't help it.

"Just go to your next class and forget all about it, okay?" he smiled.

"Yeah okay," Sasuke nodded.

**NS**

Math 124, the basic level math class that all subjects had to take, the class Sasuke was waiting outside of at 11:30. "You're in my class?" he heard from the side of him.

He turned to see the owner of the voice was no other than Naruto, his roommate. Instead of responding he just continued to face forward and stare at the wall ahead of him, he was not in the mood to deal with Naruto at the moment.

"Sasuke, come on talk to me," he smiled as he sat down next to the raven, finding that he was acting weirder than usual.

"Go away," he sighed. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you today."

"Oh come on, we have to be friends again eventually," he smiled.

"There's a problem with that sentence," Sasuke pointed out. "We were never friends to begin with, remember." He didn't feel like being nice, he just wanted the blonde away from him so he could think about his earlier class and what he could do about Orochimaru.

"Then lets start now," Naruto grinned. Sasuke thought it would be best to ignore the blonde idiot, however that proved to be useless as he just kept talking. "Seriously just because I saw some bruises you're going to ignore me?"

"You don't know when to shut up do you?" Sasuke asked as he glared at the blonde, making him shut up immediately. His silence was short lived, as the raven expected.

"I can pretend I didn't see, you don't have to explain them to me unless you feel comfortable," Naruto said. He was trying to yearn his trust, but it only seemed to be making Sasuke more annoyed.

"Just stop it," he growled as Naruto continued.

"We don't even have to be good friends, just the type that tolerate each other," Naruto continued, making Sasuke's eyebrow start to twitch in annoyance.

"Will it shut you up?" he asked, his voice showing his annoyance level.

"Probably not," he smiled.

"Go away," he sighed, rubbing he temple to sooth his headache, wishing he'd brought his mp3 player so he could have just tuned the idiot out.

"Come on," Naruto smiled, trying to convince Sasuke just to give him a chance. "So what's your favorite movie?"

"Moron," Sasuke rolled his eyes, finding it weird how Naruto could annoy him and make him feel better all at once. He found it weird how easily he could not only bring his emotions out, but how easy was finding it to adjust around him - it was weird that being around him wasn't weird at all.

"You know you want to answer the question," he grinned before bugging Sasuke into answering his questions until class started.

**NS**

"Sasuke?" Naruto called as they sat in their dorm room. Each was on their own beds, doing their homework, however one was more confused than the other.

"What?" he looked up at the blonde.

"Have you done problem ten yet?" he asked. Naruto hated professors who gave homework the first week, let alone the first day, yet many did - especially those in subjects like math.

"I'm done with math," he said in a bored tone.

"I don't get it," the blonde whined, making the rave roll his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day.

"Look in the book," he said, causing the blonde to frown.

"Friends are supposed to help friends," Naruto said.

"I told you, we aren't friends," he stated harshly.

"Just help me you know like a tutor," he said as, causing Sasuke to sigh, knowing he would just be bugged until he agreed. The raven walked over to help him. He started explaining, but all the blonde was staring at was the raven's face. He had always hated him partly because everyone loved his looks, but he never _really _looked at him. His roommate was gorgeous. It made him want to get a _good_ look at the rest of his perfect body, even if it was bruised.

"Naruto," pulled the blonde out of his thought and he knew that he shouldn't be thinking that was about the guy that he disliked for so long.

"Sorry," Naruto smiled. "I spaced out I guess, can you repeat that?"

"I'm not going to help you if you just space out when I do," he glared with a sigh before he started to repeat what he said. Naruto made sure to pay attention to his words this time, so that he would not anger the raven and end up not having any help with math for the semester. After all he couldn't say 'Sorry I was thinking about how hot you are' because he didn't really think that would go over too well with Sasuke.

The blonde decided to start out small and gain his trust, however, if all else failed; he knew there was always the journal hidden in the room. He wanted to know what the bruises were from, but more importantly he wanted Sasuke to tell him. He would find out either way by the end of the semester, or at least by the end of the two semesters together, it was his mission.

**TBC...**

**End Note: The couples, currently fighting it out in my head are: NejiGaa and NejiTen. Also, ShikaTema and ShikaIno. The reviewer mentioned KibaSui against KibaHina and SuiKarin. Also, SaiSaku and LeeSaku…I think I know what is going to happen with Sakura, Lee, Sai, Ino, Shikamaru, Temari, Neji, Tenten and Gaara. However, suggestions are always welcome…I have an idea what I may do for Kiba, Hinata, Suigetsu, and Karin depending on the reviews I get (there is now a poll for this by the way.) All the other characters are up for grabs though, I really don't know what I want to do and I think I have some ideas, but they could be easily swayed. One last thing, don't forget, Itachi and Kyuubi are going to be coming back into the picture at some point so if you want to see them with anyone then let me know. I am open to other couples besides the ones listed, but as I am planning far in advanced I am setting couples now, so it's get your word in now or never.**


	9. Day Dream

**Shelly Note: This is only slightly inspired by Living in a Dream by Finger Eleven because I was listening to it and the idea for this chapter came into my head, though anything can inspire a chapter really so if you listen to the song you may be like how the hell did that inspire the chapter :)**

**First chapter not originally posted, tell me what you think…**

**It's funny, while some pairings were overwhelmingly popular, others were kind of a toss up…Now, while I'm not saying it will happen…if Kiba and Suigetsu do get together…who do you guys think would be the more dominant of the two? I have my idea of whom I would make the dominant person, but I want to hear from the readers…**

**As usual I own nothing enjoy and please review **

**Chapter 9: Day Dream**

Naruto wasn't sure why there was a change in Sasuke's demeanor, but he seemed fine a few days after what Naruto was calling "the bathroom incident." He knew that he probably wasn't, but they at least were back being somewhat friends.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called, as he walked into the room after his class that morning. He threw his books onto the bed before laying down on it as well. It always amazed him how exhausted he was after class.

"You don't have to yell, I'm right here," Sasuke said, walking out of the bathroom, obviously annoyed.

"Just making sure you were here," Naruto grinned as he sat up. He couldn't help but feel disappointed that Sasuke didn't walk out of the bathroom shirtless. He watched the water drop roll down his neck and into his shirt, almost like he was hypnotized by it.

"Are you even listening to me?" Sasuke said angrily.

"What?" Naruto snapped out of it as he looked at Sasuke, scolding himself for ogling Sasuke.

"I asked, why you needed me here?" Sasuke repeated, though Naruto swore he hadn't said it earlier.

"I need my tutor," Naruto smiled. _'My hot tutor,'_ He couldn't help but think. But it wasn't news to him that he found Sasuke hot, it would be a problem if at anytime he found himself attracted on a deeper level. He had already admitted to himself he found Sasuke very confusing, he would not go any further than that if he could help it.

"Hold on, let me at least dry my hair," Sasuke said as he grabbed his towel from the bathroom. He didn't bother brushing his hair once it was semi-dry, Naruto had never seen him with his hair so out of place and he couldn't help but like it. It showed a more relaxed side to Sasuke, and he couldn't help to find it kind of hot.

"What do you want to start with?" Sasuke asked as he sat on the bed next to Naruto, leaning back against the wall. Naruto had started to ask Sasuke's help with all the subjects that Sasuke could, as he was looking to raise his grades.

"Let's just start with math," Naruto said, trying to hold his composure and not think about the guy in front of him. It was fine to be curious about him, but he would not let himself go so far as to start liking him. They were roommates; it would be one-sided and awkward. Not only that, but also, Sasuke was a jerk to him and didn't want to be his friend. He had no reason to like him.

Naruto just listened to what Sasuke said, mostly watching his mouth move. He wondered how soft those lips would be to kiss. He didn't really know what he was saying and he really didn't care. He cut him off with a kiss. Sasuke looked shocked at first but he quickly responded and pulled the blonde closer to him. Naruto pushed the books off the bed, making papers fly everywhere.

For someone who hadn't wanted to be touched not that long ago, he was sure finding Naruto's touch a good thing now. Naruto had Sasuke pinned to the bed as he kissed him, running one of his hands through the raven's damp hair. Sasuke was only encouraging him as he ran his fingers down Naruto's back.

Sasuke turned them over, straddling him and Naruto couldn't help but think it was the perfect sight. Naruto pulled him down into another kiss, which Sasuke happily returned. He broke the kiss to start kiss his neck, earning a pleased look on the usually emotionless face. "You like that don't you?" Naruto grinned.

"You're not even paying attention are you?" Sasuke asked, once again annoyed.

Naruto snapped out of it, realizing the papers were still on the bed, Sasuke was not straddling him, and Sasuke was giving him an annoyed look. This was probably because he was far too close for his liking and because he had indeed not been paying attention. All Naruto could think was that he had been lucky with the way he was sitting. The blonde had a book on his lap, while it sucked for the boner he was currently sporting, which he tried to will away. He was lucky that Sasuke didn't see it. "So that didn't really happen?" Naruto asked dumbly. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but he did.

"What are you talking about? And why are you so close to me?" Sasuke asked, thinking that maybe Naruto would answer his other questions since he didn't answer his first one.

"Well, first off, no I wasn't paying attention," Naruto said, looking at the ground. He was trying to find the answer to the other questions. He knew the other answer, but that didn't mean that he wanted to give that to Sasuke. He couldn't tell him that he was daydreaming about him in a sexual manner.

"And my other questions?" Sasuke asked.

"I was day dreaming, about aliens," Naruto tried. "I guess it was more of a day nightmare, so you know I was close for protection." It was a terrible lie and Sasuke didn't seem to buy it, but he didn't push it anymore.

"Whatever," He just shook his head. "Just pay attention or I won't help you anymore." Naruto knew it was an empty threat, he never paid attention but Sasuke kept helping him.

"Can we try this later when I'm more focused?" Naruto asked, knowing he needed to get away.

"Hn, whatever," Sasuke said as the blonde practically ran out of the room.

**NS**

Kiba heard banging on his door, repeatedly and he knew it could only be one person. Only one person would be so persistent in getting him to open the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he said as he went to open the door. "What?" he asked while opening the door, only to be shoved aside by a certain blonde friend of his.

"I need to get out of my room," Naruto said and he knew it was a Sasuke problem. Ever since they roomed together it was always a Sasuke problem. Even before they roomed together the guy made Naruto's emotions boil, now it was only amplified.

"What happened?" Kiba sat down, knowing this was going to be a long conversation.

"It's embarrassing," Naruto mumbled, now making Kiba actually interested. There wasn't much that actually embarrassed the blonde; he would do just about anything. He had to hear what would actually embarrass him.

"Come on, tell me," Kiba laughed at his friends predicament.

"I had a day dream about him," He mumbled, looking away.

"Excuse me?" Kiba asked, not believing the words coming out of his mouth. "What's embarrassing about that?"

"He was right fucking next to me!" Naruto yelled in frustration.

"So what happened?" Kiba laughed, enjoying Naruto's situation.

"Don't make it worse, don't make me relive it," Naruto sighed.

"It's not my fault you like him," Kiba shrugged as he lay back on his bed.

"I don't like him, I just find him hot. I've told you that I don't know how many times," Naruto said, obviously flustered. Kiba looked at him skeptically, knowing that Naruto didn't even truly convince himself either.

"Look, I know I don't ask Hinata out, but at least I don't deny that I like her," Kiba said, ending that conversation. Naruto didn't want to talk about Sasuke anymore, that might mean admitting a lot more than he's ready to admit when it comes to the raven.

**NS**

Sasuke looked at the ceiling as he lay on his bed. His mind drifted to Naruto, he wasn't sure why but he couldn't think of anything but him. He wasn't sure why the blonde being so close to him affected him so much. He knew that he found Naruto attractive, but that shouldn't have made him react in the way it did.

'_Calm down and just stop thinking about him. Maybe I should find a reason to stop tutoring him, if this is going to be the result. I can't have him taking over my thoughts. Damn it I sound like I actually like him, but I don't, I can't. I won't allow that to happen,' _Sasuke thought to himself. He let out a sigh and continued to think, _'I can't just stop tutoring him, that will seem suspicious. But I need to just stop having any feelings whatsoever toward him. He's annoying, childish, and everything I hate. I can barely tolerate him, I just have to remind myself that.' _

Sasuke rolled over on his stomach, pulling his pillow under his head. He let out another sigh, wishing he had felt more convinced. He had distracted himself from thinking about Orochimaru when he wasn't in class, but with the frequency that he sees Naruto he wasn't sure that it was possible for him to use distraction with the blonde.

**TBC…?**

**Don't be fooled by this chapter, except for two chapters, things are going to slow down after this…you'll see why**


	10. After Class

**Note: So remember how last chapter there wasn't really anything depressing in it? Well that was because this one is a little bit of a downer…just warning you**

**Some Orochimaru verbal/mental abuse, it doesn't have a warning because he doesn't actually hit him…if you want me to tell you where it is so you don't have to read it pm me…but here's your warning because it's not in the actual chapter…I feel him being creepy doesn't need warning it should be assumed when he's there he'll be creepy…**

**As usual I own nothing enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 10: After Class**

Naruto looked at Sasuke getting ready for class, he couldn't help but think that something was missing. Sasuke was doing his normal routine that much he was sure of, but he still felt as if something was out of place. Then it dawned on him, "Where's Suigetsu?" The two had a habit of hanging out before class ever since the first day of classes.

"He's sick," was Sasuke's simple yet somehow shaky reply. He didn't look at him for some odd reason. He had been quieter than usual.

"Oh," Naruto said. He didn't know what else to say to his roommate. He found him to be a puzzle that was impossible to figure out. "Well, I'll see you in math, I'm heading over to Kiba's."

"There's no way that he'll be up right now," Sasuke said as the blonde grabbed his things for math, knowing he'd be there until he had to go to the class.

"I know, that's half the fun," he grinned, causing Sasuke to shake his head. Naruto walked out the door laughing. He walked over to Kiba and Shino's room, knowing that Shino was bound to be up at this hour, he was an early riser like Sasuke. The difference was that Kiba could sleep through anything and Shino was a lot more thoughtful of the fact that his roommate was sleeping. The blonde knocked on the door, waiting for Shino to answer.

Once the door opened, Shino said, "He's sleeping."

"Doesn't mean I can't wake him up," Naruto grinned, Shino didn't argue and just let him in.

"Wake up, buddy," Naruto said as he started jumping on Kiba's bed next to him, eventually sitting on his best friend.

"Come on moron, you're heavy," Kiba said in a half awake voice. "And you're going to break my bed."

"Are you calling me fat?" Naruto said in fake anger. "I'm offended."

"I'm not awake enough for this Naruto," Kiba said in an annoyed voice.

"That's why it's fun," Naruto laughed, causing Kiba to push him off and onto the floor.

"You dick, that hurt," Naruto said as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Serves you right," Kiba said as he sat up, glaring at the blonde in front of him.

"That look doesn't scare me, you should see the ones that Sasuke gives me," he smiled.

"Must you find a way to bring Sasuke into every conversation?" Kiba asked as he rubbed is eyes, trying to wake up.

"I do not," Naruto denied, not even realizing he'd been doing it.

"Yeah you do," Shino agreed.

"Who asked you," Naruto glared.

"Would you just make-out with him, or fuck him, or what ever it is you want to do with him, and get it over with so I stop having to hear about him?" Kiba asked. "Either that or I'll bring up Hinata in every conversation."

"Fine, fine, I get it," Naruto said. "I won't bring up Sasuke the rest of the day."

"You say that, but you don't even realize you do it," Kiba said.

"He's got it bad," Shino observed, being usually talkative.

"What is this, pick on Naruto day?" Naruto huffed, annoyed with his friends.

"He hardly denies it anymore," Shino added to his observation.

"Shut up, I don't like him!" Naruto shouted. "You know what, you guys are mean, lets get some other people to hang out with, maybe they won't pick on me," Naruto said.

"If you bring up Sasuke they will," Kiba teased.

"Shut up, this conversation is over," Naruto said.

**NS**

Naruto, Shino, Kiba, Gaara, Neji, Shikamaru, Choji, Lee, and Sai were all sitting in Neji's room taking turns playing his x-box. Naruto was happy to get the concentration off of him.

"So, dickless, ugly wants to know why you haven't talked to her lately," Sai said.

"Dude you really have to come up with better names for people," Kiba said, knowing he was talking about Sakura.

"Sakura, how is my beautiful goddess," Lee practically shouted.

"Who invited him?" Kiba asked quietly.

"Unfortunately he's my roommate," Neji sighed.

"She's fine Lee and I didn't know she was yours," Sai said confused. While Sai did very well in school, he lacked in the department of social skills and understanding.

"She's not," Naruto laughed at Sai's misunderstanding.

"It's just his wishful thinking," Kiba added, but Lee didn't let that get him down.

"I will win her heart one day," he assured.

"You do that, buddy," Naruto laughed, somewhat happy that Sakura had someone that cared for her so much. Yet, he felt somewhat sorry for her because he was just a little too over the top about it. It was almost ironic that the guy was just as obsessed with her as she was with Sasuke.

"So Kiba, when are you going to ask Hinata out?" Choji asked, trying to distract him while they played against each other.

"When blondie over there admits he likes Sasuke," Kiba grinned, knowing his friends wouldn't let him live it down.

"What?" Gaara spoke out, obviously surprised.

"It's obvious," Shikamaru said. "It was obvious when they played football," he added, earning a few laughs.

"I don't like Sasuke," Gaara said, he had always been protective of the blonde ever since Naruto invited him into their group. It was as if he felt he owed him for helping him make friends.

"Neither do I, their just messing with me because he's my roommate, who I just find attractive," Naruto said. "And Kiba said I wasn't supposed to bring up so I don't know why he is."

"Because pay back is a bitch remember?" Kiba smirked as he killed the only remaining person he was playing against. Naruto knew what he meant by that he knew that his friends would make fun of him for liking Sasuke. He knew he'd hear crap about it for a long time, even if he tried to deny it.

"Neji, how are things with Tenten," Naruto then asked.

Neji blushed, "There's nothing going on with me and Tenten." No one noticed but Gaara's eyes again hardened at the conversation of Neji and Tenten being a couple. Neji looked at Gaara as he spoke to Naruto, as he felt his eyes on him, and quickly turned away from the cold stare.

"Right, okay if you want to keep it secret that's cool," Naruto laughed.

Neji decided to deflect the attention, mostly trying to change Gaara's attention, he asked "What about you Shikamaru, we all know you have two girls pinning for your attention. Who are you going to choose Ino or Temari?"

Shikamaru looked at Gaara, Temari's scary brother and just said, "I don't know yet."

"Let's stop this talk about relationships, please," Naruto said. "We sound like a bunch of girls."

"Yeah, sounds good," he heard most agreed, so they moved on.

**NS**

Sasuke sat in his business class, feeling highly uncomfortable without Suigetsu there. He hated not having a friend there with Orochimaru's piercing eyes staring at him as if he knew something that he didn't. Sasuke tried to concentrate on what the professor was saying, but he knew he could feel Orochimaru's eyes on him at all time and it was unnerving.

Once class was finished, all Sasuke wanted to do was get out. He was ready to bolt out of class faster than the speed of light, however, it seemed life had other plans. "Sasuke, would you come here for a second?" his professor called, making Sasuke nervous.

"Why?" he asked. While he normally wouldn't question professors, this was one he didn't trust. He knew he was one of Orochimaru's men.

"I just have a question about the paper you turned in last week," The professor said, though Sasuke was still suspicious. He looked around and he didn't see Orochimaru. All of the other students were exiting as he walked up to the front.

"What is it?" he asked as the last student walked out.

"There was no question," Orochimaru said as he walked in. "He was just doing me a favor," A sinister grin spread across his face. "You can go now," he said, addressing Kabuto, who only nodded as he made his exit.

"Did you know there isn't a class in here for another hour?" he asked.

"I have class soon," he said as he looked at the clock.

"Your teacher doesn't take attendance," he pointed out.

"My roommate will notice if I'm not there," Sasuke countered.

"Imagine what I could do to you in ten minutes, it would only take you five to get to your class," Orochimaru said.

Sasuke backed away from him, causing him to be backed into a corner. There are many forms of abuse. There's verbal, sexual, physical, and mental. He didn't know about sexual, but the other three he knew Orochimaru did very well.

Orochimaru pressed him into the whiteboard so hard that he could feel the part that held the erasers digging into his skin. Orochimaru covered his mouth, "Shh, we can't have you let anyone know we're in here."

"I was surprised when you weren't as good as your brother, it's sad really, how pathetic you are," The older man smirked; he loved to see how vulnerable Sasuke was. "You're brother took everything like a man, but you're so weak," he added, Sasuke's heart rate skyrocketed when Orochimaru gripped his upper arm tightly. "Don't you miss this? Just think I could beat the crap out of you right now and no one would know. How does that make you feel?" he asked in a low voice with a sinister grin.

Sasuke was searching for a way out; he knew he couldn't put up with this anymore. He finally got the courage up to kick the older man in the groin. Orochimaru leaned over, giving Sasuke the opportunity to get away.

He didn't care if he looked like a crazy person, he ran as fast as he could away from the classroom. He had to get away from Orochimaru, from his mind games, from the possibility of getting beat up. He knew that the man probably didn't beat him up only because they were on school grounds. If it would have been anywhere else, he knew he probably would have left would at least one new bruise, probably several.

When he arrived at his math class, sitting next to Naruto, he didn't say a word. He couldn't say anything; he knew it would come out shaky and terrified. He hated being around Orochimaru, especially alone.

"Hey, are you okay, you're practically shaking and you look like you just ran here," Naruto said. He'd never seen Sasuke so distraught, except maybe when he ran away after the power went out.

"I'm fine," Sasuke said, though it was clear that he wasn't. His voice was shaky and so were his hands. He could hardly write anything, he was shaking so badly.

"You are not fine, what the hell happened to you?" Naruto asked, genuinely worried.

"Can you please just drop it?" Sasuke asked, trying to calm down. He found it lucky that he already had his school stuff with him when he went to talk to the professor, so it was with him when he ran out.

**NS**

Naruto knew that Suigetsu was sick, but that didn't mean that he couldn't go talk to him. This was an emergency. He knocked on the door, only to be let in by Suigetsu's roommate, Juugo. "Hey how are you feeling?" he asked once he saw him.

"Like crap, which is why I'm wondering why you're here," Suigetsu said, though he had a feeling the answer was Sasuke. It was always Sasuke.

"It's about Sasuke," Naruto said, proving him right.

"What about him?" Suigetsu asked.

"When he came to class today, he was really shaken. I mean his hands were actually shaking and his voice was shaky," Naruto explained. "It was weird.

"Oh god," Suigetsu said, having a feeling he knew exactly what happened; although he hopped he was wrong.

"Do you know why?" Naruto asked.

"I hope not," he said as a feeling of dread came over him, wishing he hadn't missed a day of class.

"Care to share?" Naruto asked, feeling as if he was missing a giant piece to the puzzle known as Sasuke.

"That's really not my place," Suigetsu said, making the blonde extremely frustrated.

**TBC…**

**So I don't like writing the scenes with Orochimaru and Sasuke, so I just made it short…**


	11. The Journal

**Shelly note: I'm happy because I just finished writing chapter 19, making me 8 chapters ahead of what I'm posting. I'm trying to get to being at least 10 so since I have tomorrow off I may try to write 2 chapters tonight…I may not be able to post tomorrow, which after you read the chapter may make some people mad/annoyed…however, if I can't post tomorrow I will try to post 2 the next day….**

**I went back through when I was rereading it and added a few sentences, so if there are a few errors that may be why…**

**The last chapter really ended on a down note, this chapter will somewhat continue that and obviously by the title, this chapter settles the journal issue…**

**As usual I own nothing enjoy and please review **

**Chapter 11: The Journal**

It had been a week since the day Suigetsu had missed class and yet he had yet to hear what had happened to Sasuke the day he was absent from class. He knew not to push, but he was worried. He tried asking, but Sasuke avoided the topic at all costs. "You have to talk about it sooner or later," Suigetsu said as they sat in the school's cafeteria for residents.

"I don't want to talk about it, nothing happened," Sasuke said as he played with his food. He had been even quieter than usual the past week, closing himself off from everyone, including Suigetsu.

"Obviously something did," Suigetsu said. "You're hardly eating and you won't talk to anyone except to respond." He was starting to get really worried about his friend and had truly wished that he had gone to class that day. He was thinking that he should have known better than to let Sasuke go to Orochimaru's class alone.

"Look, just leave me alone. I'm fine, okay?" Sasuke said, shoving a piece of food in his mouth as if to prove his point. Suigetsu wasn't convinced, he knew Sasuke better than that.

Suigetsu didn't push it any further; he knew if he did Sasuke would just leave. He knew that Sasuke would come to him when he was ready. "Okay, but I'm here for you if you need me," was all he said. Sasuke just looked at him, before looking back down at his plate. They both knew that the conversation had ended there.

**NS**

Naruto was going crazy, he was pacing back and fourth in his dorm. Ever since the incident a week earlier, Sasuke had been more distant than ever. No one would tell him why either, or more specifically, neither Suigetsu nor Sasuke would tell him. He knew that those were the only two that knew what was going on with the raven, well them and that stupid journal he was always writing in.

Naruto paused in his pacing, _'I could read the journal. Sasuke wouldn't have to know, I could just put it back and he'd be none the wiser. It would answer all of my questions.'_ Naruto looked to where he knew the journal was hidden. He bit his bottom lip, _ 'No I can't do it, can I?'_

He walked over, pulling out the journal. He looked at it, knowing this was something Sasuke would probably guard with his life. He was actually surprised that dark haired teen didn't keep it on him at all times. _'To read it or not to read it, that is the question. If I read it, I'll know everything. But then I invade his privacy. However, I would know why he's been so distant, I could finally understand. But don't I want him to tell me that? Damn it this is so confusing,'_ as Naruto thought, he was once again pacing back and fourth.

He figured he had plenty of time because Sasuke was hanging out with Suigetsu for the day and wouldn't be back for a while. The problem was deciding on if it was worth it to know what was inside the journal. Suigetsu had said that Sasuke had a reason he didn't trust people, he wanted to know the reason. Even Naruto knew that reading someone's journal wasn't the right way to find out what they were hiding.

He sighed as he stopped pacing and made his decision. He knew that if Sasuke wanted him to know, then he would tell him and he was just going to have to live with that. He couldn't break his trust when the guy obviously already had trust issues.

The blonde walked over to put the journal back just as Sasuke had left it when he heard the door, which had swore that he locked, open. _'Shit,' _he thought, feeling that it could only possibly be one person.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke asked as he saw his journal in the blonde's hands.

"Uhhh," Naruto tried to look for an excuse, but he found none. It probably wasn't the best idea to lie when Sasuke already looked furious. "Look I can explain," Naruto tried, but he could tell that Sasuke didn't want to hear it.

"Explain? Explain what your total disregard for my privacy?" Sasuke growled.

"It's not what it looks like," Naruto started, but he knew it partly was exactly what it looks like.

"It looks like your putting back my journal after taking it out without me knowing," Sasuke said. Naruto sighed, _'So maybe it's exactly what it looks like.'_ Sasuke continued to glare as he stared at the blonde, "Let me guess, you just thought you could read it while I was gone. Did you get the information you wanted?"

"But Sasuke," Naruto tried to interrupt him.

"Don't even, you listen to me closely. I will no longer talk to you; tutor you, or so much as look at you. You are dead to me," Sasuke said, his voice cutting through him like a knife. This fight was worse than any fist fight they got in during high school. Naruto never thought Sasuke saying those words would hurt so much.

"Can't you just hit me instead?" Naruto pleaded. "Please, hit me and we'll call it even."

"Are you kidding me?" Sasuke's face was a mix of emotions; he was looking at him as if he were a moron, but also with rage. He wondered how after reading his journal he could even bring up hitting. "Go to hell," was all Sasuke could say as he walked out of the room, slamming the door in the process.

**NS**

Shino didn't want to be in the middle of campus. In fact that was one of the last places he wanted to be, yet he was there. His good friend Kiba dragged him there him there. The middle of campus was loud because of all the fast food places that were located there. He knew that the only reason they were there is because Hinata was there helping out with one of the school events.

"She's so helpful," he said as she handed out fliers for the school.

"Just ask her out already," Shino said. "You're acting like a stalker." Shino didn't often voice his opinion, but once he was in a situation he clearly didn't want to be in, he was going to speak up.

"Shut up, she might hear you," Kiba said quietly as she walked their way.

"Hi Kiba, hi Shino," Hinata said as she walked up to them and smiled, timidly. "You should come to the school's play," she smiled as she handed them both fliers.

"Are you going?" Kiba asked.

"Probably," she said. She played with her fingers a moment before asking, "Why?"

"Just wondering," He said. The brunette didn't want to make it obvious that he liked her, everyone knew except Hinata it seemed. Shino just rolled his eyes at the two of them, wondering why Kiba didn't ask her out when he clearly had the perfect opportunity.

"Oh," she smiled. "Well I'll see you around." She walked away, going off to hand out fliers to other students in the area.

Shino just shook his head. "What?" Kiba asked as he saw how his friend reacted.

"You're stupid sometimes," Shino replied.

"Why do you say that?" Kiba asked. He hated that anyone would call him stupid that was supposed to be Naruto's job. They had always joked with him how dense the guy was because he had never realized Hinata liked him.

"She wanted you to ask her to go," he said, as if it were obvious. He thought that Hinata might like him too; either that or she had just seen him as a really good friend. He hoped for Kiba's sake that she liked him because he didn't want to see him get hurt and because he'd have to hear about it for weeks if she did reject him.

"How would you know, it's not like you spend your day with girls, you spend your days with the creepy insects you secretly keep in the room," Kiba rolls his eyes.

"It was obvious," he said. He hoped with how much he was pushing it that he was right, he'd feel a little bad if he were wrong. She'd definitely go with him at least as a friend, but as a date he wasn't one hundred percent sure.

Before Kiba could respond, Naruto ran up to them, "I'm glad that I found you. I've been looking seriously everywhere. Sakura finally told me that Hinata was here so I put two and two together."

"It's not like I stalk her," Kiba said, annoyed with his friends acting like it was a daily occurrence

"You're like a puppy that follows her," Naruto teased, Shino just chuckled.

"I'm not going to help you if you just sit there and make fun of me," he crossed his arms.

"Okay, I'm sorry, you're right you're not a stalker," Naruto said quickly.

"You must really need help," Kiba's eyes widened. He knew Naruto would never take back teasing him unless he truly needed help.

"I do," Naruto was practically begging at this point. "Please help me," he added.

"What happened?" Kiba asked. Naruto should have known that the brunette wasn't going to deny helping a friend, especially his best friend.

"So I was alone in my room right. It was driving me crazy about what was going on with Sasuke," Naruto started.

"Should have known it was a Sasuke problem," Kiba interrupted.

"Anyway," Naruto said, annoyed by his friend's interruption. "So you know how he keeps that journal? Well I was thinking that if I read it maybe then I would understand more why he was acting like that," Naruto said.

"You're a moron," Kiba said. He couldn't believe the blonde's logic sometimes. He knew Naruto knew better than to read someone's journal so he must have really wanted to know what was going on.

"I didn't actually read it was thinking about it, but when he came in I was putting it back and now he thinks I read it. He won't even talk to me. He hates me, says I'm dead to him," Naruto finished.

"Just apologize," Kiba shrugged as Hinata came back into view.

"That's the best you've got?" Naruto asked. He wondered where the friend that helped him make and get out of trouble went. The blonde then followed his eye line and saw exactly who he was looking at. "God you're useless when she's around, you know that. What was it you said to me? Would you just make out with her, or fuck her, or whatever it is you want to do with her so I can get my friend back," Naruto smirked.

"Something along those lines," Kiba rolled his eyes. "I don't want to rush things with her."

"Trust me, you're not," he laughed. "And right now, you're no help."

"Look, just go ask Suigetsu, he knows how to deal with Sasuke way better than I do. I don't have advice for this shit," Kiba said.

"Obviously," Naruto mumbled.

**NS**

Sasuke was furious; he couldn't believe that Naruto would actually read his journal. He walked around campus for a while, trying to calm himself down, before he headed to Suigetsu's dorm.

"Sasuke?" Suigetsu said as he opened the door. "What's up?" he asked as he could tell he other was mad.

"I just can't believe it," Sasuke said as he walked in and sat on the bed closest to the door. Juugo was out so it really didn't matter what bed he sat on.

Suigetsu sat next to him and asked, "Can't believe what?"

"He actually had the nerve to read my journal," Sasuke ran his hands through his hair.

"Are you sure?" Suigetsu asked. He was trying to be the one with the clear mind because he was certain that Sasuke wasn't at the moment. He knew no one got away with touching the journal and was able to be on Sasuke's good list.

"He had it in his fucking hand when I walked in," Sasuke said. "So yeah I'm pretty sure." Sasuke sounded infuriated as he spoke; Suigetsu hadn't seen him so angry in a long time.

"Did he say anything to you about it? I mean he was caught red-handed right? You would think if he read it then he would at least talk to you about it," Suigetsu reasoned.

"No," Sasuke said.

"That doesn't really sound like Naruto," Suigetsu pointed out. He was thinking it didn't add up if Naruto actually did read the journal.

"He had it in his hand," Sasuke argued.

"Did you let him explain?" Suigetsu asked. He knew the answer was probably no, so he didn't even know why he bothered asking the question.

"Why are you taking his side?" Sasuke got angry. "You're supposed to be my friend."

"I'm not, I'm just saying, when I heard about it, I was furious at Orochimaru. I wanted to go rip that guy a new one. I wanted him to be locked up, you know? I talked to you about it, hell I try to make you talk about things you don't want talk about even now," Suigetsu said. "Naruto just doesn't really seem like the kind of guy that if he got a hold of that information, he'd be able to not say anything to you."

Sasuke paused, as he looked at the floor and Suigetsu knew he was about to tell him something important. "There's stuff in that journal that I haven't even told you," Sasuke sighed as he put his head in his hands. He had calmed down only a little.

"About what?" Suigetsu asked, seeing that wasn't the only thing bothering his friend. "If you don't mind telling me that is," he quickly added, not wanting to make Sasuke feel pressured.

"Remember when you were absent?" Sasuke asked after taking a deep breath as he looked at him. Suigetsu knew this kind of stuff was difficult for Sasuke to talk about.

"Yeah," Suigetsu said, having a feeling something about this day was coming.

"Orochimaru got me alone," Sasuke said. He didn't make eye contact and his voice went quiet as he spoke.

"Did he hurt you?" Suigetsu asked, having the feeling the answer would be yes. Suigetsu frowned, wishing even more that he had been there that day.

"Mostly just mentally, I got away before he could do anything," Sasuke sighed. He hated feeling so vulnerable. He knew that he had to tell someone though, keeping it bottled up was doing him no good.

"You'll be okay Sasuke, we'll make sure he can't get you anymore," Suigetsu said. He had to try to reassure his best friend, it was all he could do.

"It's like he's trying to break me or something," Sasuke said, still looking at the floor.

"I don't care what it takes, you'll never go back to that house, or be alone with that man again," Suigetsu said.

"You can't possibly know that," Sasuke said, knowing Suigetsu was only saying those words to comfort him.

"But we can sure as hell try to make it possible," Suigetsu smiled.

**TBC…?**


	12. Apologize

**Note: I have chapter 20 written, just not all the way typed so I figured I'd post this before my day got busy…I hope you all enjoy it…I know that not much happens in the chapter, but it is a needed chapter…I promise you'll all like next chapter a lot…I have a little bit of a busy day tomorrow too but I'll try to post…I promise I have nothing to do Thursday so I'll make up whatever chapters don't get posted then…If I type a lot of chapters on that day you guys may get lucky and get two chapters …just depends on what I have going on **

**Also, thanks for the reviews, they are much appreciated…**

**As usual I own nothing enjoy and please review **

**Chapter 12: Apologize**

Kiba, Shino and Naruto stat in the middle of campus talking, Naruto was still trying to figure out what to do about Sasuke. "Come on Kiba you have to have better advice than that."

"As I said, why don't you ask Suigetsu? The guy is Sasuke's best friend, he'd know best," Kiba pointed out.

Naruto just sighed, "You really don't have any good advice, do you?

"I'm not a Sasuke expert," Kiba shrugged.

"Yeah, I know," Naruto frowned; knowing his usual go to person could be of no help on this subject. "I'm going to find Sakura."

"You're crazy man," was all he said as Naruto walked away to find their pink haired, Sasuke obsessed friend.

**NS**

Naruto decided that Kiba was no help whatsoever, so he went to Sakura. She was a good friend and someone who had been there for him, so he hoped she would be of some help. "Hey Sakura," he smiled as he walked up to her.

She looked at him and she could tell the smile was somewhat forced, "What's wrong?" It always amazed him how she seemed to see right through him.

"I did something bad," he said as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. He wasn't sure how she'd react, seeing as she'd always had a thing for Sasuke.

"What'd you do?" she asked in disapproval. She was used to cleaning up Naruto's messes, but she hoped once they got to college he would straighten out a bit.

"You see, Sasuke won't talk to me and I'm trying to figure out how to get him to talk to me again," Naruto said, trying not to include that he has a journal. He knew Sakura would try to steal it in a heartbeat.

"Sasuke? What'd you do to Sasuke?" she asked and he suddenly felt as if she was going to turn on him.

"I just bud into his personal life and he doesn't like that much. But I didn't even do anything, he just thinks I did, and he won't listen to me," Naruto tries to explain.

"I should go comfort him," Sakura said, making Naruto regret going to her to advice.

"No you should be giving me advice on Sasuke," Naruto sighed.

"Do you know where he is?" she asked, ignoring her friend. Naruto should have known better than to come to her with a Sasuke problem. She was fine with every other problem, but if it involved Sasuke, she saw it as a way to get closer to him. Her obsession with him was the one thing he found creepy.

"No," Naruto said, hoping that she didn't find him as she hurried off searching for him.

**NS**

Naruto decided to try Kiba's first suggestion; it seemed simple enough to just apologize. He had a sinking feeling in his chest that it wouldn't work. He walked into his and Sasuke's room, feeling that it would be his best bet to finding Sasuke. When he walked in, he was met with cold eyes, then the cold shoulder. "Hey," he tried to break the ice, trying to see if Sasuke would talk to him but his efforts were ignored.

"Please just talked to me," Naruto said as he walked over to Sasuke. The dark haired teen wouldn't even look at him; it was as if he wasn't even in the room.

"Come on, I'm sorry, what do I have to do to prove it to you?" the blonde asked, hating the silent treatment he was receiving. He realized he was sounding desperate, but that was partly because he was. He just wanted him to say something, even if it was an insult.

Sasuke just looked at him, his bottomless eyes glaring at him. The raven got up and walked out of the room, still silent. Naruto dropped his head, as if in defeat. He sighed, deciding it was time to turn to plan B. He had no other choice; Sasuke just wouldn't listen to him.

**NS**

"Sasuke!" the raven heard a voice call out. He cursed his luck because he knew it was Sakura. He really didn't want to deal with her on that particular day.

He stopped walking and waited for the pink haired girl to catch up to him, "What do you want?" He didn't care how harsh his voice sounded and he knew she didn't either. No matter how many times he rejected the girl she just came back.

"I heard you were having a bad day," she said as she batted her eyelashes, trying to flirt.

"So?" he asked, not wanting to give her any reason to think he was interested. He wasn't interested in the least, he felt he'd made that very clear but she couldn't get it through her thick skull.

"I thought I could cheer you up," she smiled and played with her hair. Sakura felt she was doing a good job at flirting, but Sasuke didn't seem to respond well.

"Sakura, I'm not interested in you. I don't want you to cheer me up," Sasuke said bluntly. He felt as if it was the only way to tell her that she would understand.

"But Sasuke I love you," she protested.

"You hardly know me. We've hardly talked in the years we've gone to school together, so how can you love me?" Sasuke asked he just wanted her to realize she didn't love him. She loved the way he looked, but not him. He felt that it was time for her to be able to tell the difference between love and lust. He didn't let her say anything else he just walked away.

**NS**

Naruto walked down to Suigetsu's room, hoping that Sasuke wouldn't be there. He knocked on the door and was happy to find that Suigetsu was there alone. "Hey Naruto what's up?" the light-haired teen asked, though he knew it had to do with Sasuke.

"Sasuke won't talk to me," Naruto said, he figured he'd get straight to the point.

"I see," Suigetsu nods as he looked at Naruto. Sasuke had been keeping him in the loop of what had been going on between the two so he was well aware of the reason. The blonde looked so confused as to why a simple thing as a journal would cause this much of an argument.

"I just don't understand, I mean I know it's his journal, but I didn't even read it. Even if I did, I don't see why it would be that big of a deal. I know he should be mad, but _this _mad is a little over the top, don't you think?" Naruto asked as he paced back and fourth. Suigetsu knew he was fishing for answers that he just couldn't give.

"If you knew what was in the journal, you'd understand why it is that big of a deal," Suigetsu said.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked as he stopped his pacing, staring Suigetsu straight in the eye.

"I can't tell you that," Suigetsu looked down. "As I've told you before, it's not my place, if he won't tell you then I certainly can't."

"So what am I supposed to do then, just sit back and wait until he forgives me? News flash, I don't think that's going to happen," Naruto let out a frustrated sigh.

"Just give him sometime to think about it, maybe he'll realize that you didn't read it," Suigetsu suggested. "He just doesn't trust as it is, it doesn't help that you had his journal in your hand."

Naruto frowned; he couldn't believe he could be so stupid. Some people weren't an open book like him; Sasuke was one of those people. "Thanks Suigetsu."

Suigetsu watched as the blonde walked out of the room. He knew there was no way that he had read the journal. _'I need to talk to Sasuke,_' he thought as he text Sasuke to find out where he was.

**NS**

"So, why'd you want to meet?" Sasuke asked as Suigetsu walked up to him. It took a minute for him to catch his breath; he had obviously rushed to get there.

"Don't walk away," Suigetsu said, before giving his topic. He knew that the topic of Naruto had been off limits since the incident. The raven could hold a grudge; Suigetsu just hoped he could change his mind on this one.

"Don't bring him up," Sasuke warned, getting ready to walk away. Suigetsu didn't let him; instead he made him sit down on the nearest bench. "Why do you want to talk about him?" Sasuke glared, annoyed with his friend.

"There's no way he read your journal," Suigetsu said, knowing Sasuke wouldn't believe him.

"He had it in his hand," Sasuke argued. "I can't believe you're still taking his side!"

"I'm not taking sides, I'm just telling you, he couldn't have read it," he responded.

"And how do you know that? Did he tell you that?" the raven crossed his arms, turning away from his friend. Suigetsu could tell that he didn't want to hear anything else.

"Look he's clueless as to what's going on, there is no way he'd be able to hide it if he knew. Naruto is not manipulative enough to be able to hide it, you and I both know that," Suigetsu argued. "He would have confronted you about it right then and there."

Sasuke looked at the ground, he started to clutch the bench as he thought about what Suigetsu said. He knew Suigetsu was right; it didn't make sense for Naruto not to confront him. He thought about what Naruto had said after he caught him and he knew that the blonde wouldn't be so heartless as to say to hit him if he had read the journal."I can't just forgive him," Sasuke said. "He betrayed what little trust I gave him."

"I know, but I really do think he's genuinely sorry," Suigetsu says, hoping he got through to him. Sasuke just nodded, making it clear that he was processing what Suigetsu was saying.

**TBC…**


	13. Drunk and Tolerable

**Shelly's note: while not every college student parties as often as I make them, especially since they are underage, they are partiers – at least to my standards. I do not support underage drinking, but I'm not so naïve as to dismiss that it happens…**

**This chapter has a drunk Sasuke…I think everyone will like drunk Sasuke...**

**Keep in mind during this chapter that people do stupid things when they are drunk **

**Song of inspiration for this chapter: DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love by Usher as well as the chorus of Hands All Over by Maroon 5**

**I changed where I was going to end it, other wise it would have been like over 3000 words long….See end note for more after you read the chapter…**

**As usual I own nothing, enjoy and please review **

**Chapter 13: Drunk and Tolerable**

A week went by in silence, for Naruto it was a week of torture. He hated to be ignored; it was one of the few things that he really couldn't stand. He looked over at Sasuke reading, and smiled as he felt that it was his chance to make him talk. "Will you please just talk to me?"

Sasuke ignored him and Naruto couldn't help but feel this routine was getting really old. "Fine, if you're going to be quiet then I'm just going to talk," he said, earning a glare from Sasuke. "I couldn't do it okay. I wanted to read your stupid journal, but I couldn't invade your privacy like that."

Sasuke tried to ignore him, but he couldn't, Naruto wouldn't let him. "You had it in your hand," Sasuke said, finally breaking his silence. Naruto didn't care that it was in anger, he was just happy he was talking to him.

"I know, I told you I was thinking about it, but I couldn't do it," Naruto said. He didn't know how explain it to the raven so that he would forgive him.

Sasuke thought about what Suigetsu had said, but he still couldn't bring himself to just forgive Naruto. "How can I trust you?" Sasuke looked at him as he got off his bed. "The fact that you even thought about looking at it with out my permission just makes me angry."

Naruto was silent for a while as the two stood, staring at each other. It was as if they were both trying to figure out what to do. "I know it was wrong and I don't know what I can do to make you forgive me," Naruto finally.

"I don't know if I can forgive you," Sasuke sighed. Naruto had betrayed his trust, he wasn't sure if there was anyway that he'd be able to earn it back. He looked at the blonde, who seemed to be absolutely defeated, so he added, "But I can tolerate you." He didn't know why he added it; the words just came out of his mouth. Some part of him didn't like seeing the blonde so sad and that bothered him.

Naruto smiled, in an instant his whole attitude turned around as he said, "Great to celebrate, we're going out tonight. I'm sure there's a party somewhere."

"I said I would tolerate you, not be your friend," Sasuke reminded him. He was already starting to think that tolerating the blonde might be a bad idea.

"Doesn't mean we can't go to a party, it'll be fun," Naruto said. Sasuke sighed; he knew either way he'd get dragged along.

**NS**

Naruto barged into Kiba's room, knowing he kept it unlocked when he was there. "Thanks for knocking," Kiba said, as the blonde sat down. Naruto ignored his comment, he was too happy for his best friend to ruin his good mood.

"I have a plan, but first we need to find a party to go to tonight," Naruto said. He had the smile on his face that told Kiba he was going to do something stupid.

"I'm sure there's one somewhere," Kiba shrugged. "What's your plan?"

"Sasuke said he'd tolerate me, so I'm going to get him drunk," the blonde smiled, as if the rest was obvious.

"And then what?" Shino asked from his spot on his bed. He was always skeptical of Naruto's plans, especially since many of them never turned out the way the blonde wanted them to.

"And then I'm sure he'll find me better than tolerable," Naruto said, smiling.

"What do you plan to do, fuck him?" Kiba laughed as teased his best friend.

"No!" Naruto shoved his friend for the suggestion. "I can't believe you'd say that."

"I'm just saying you said you'd get him drunk and he'd find you better than tolerable, sounds like you want to take him to your bed," Kiba smirked. "It's not like it would be that difficult, it's in the same room."

"You're such a perverted asshole," Naruto said. "You know that's not what I meant."

"Yeah, yeah, let's find a party," Kiba laughed. While he may sometimes be a supportive friend, it was always fun to mess with Naruto too.

**NS**

"Naruto wants to get Sasuke drunk," Kiba informed Suigetsu on their way to the party.

"Did you bring the video camera?" Suigetsu asked with a laugh.

"No, why?" asked the brunette.

"Do you really think Sasuke is one to get drunk?" Suigetsu asked as if to make his point.

"No," Kiba replied, realizing his error.

"Exactly, so if Naruto succeeds, it will be hilarious," Suigetsu chuckled, knowing how Sasuke acted when he was drunk.

"Or a little more talkative," Kiba laughed. He'd bet anyone that Sasuke still wouldn't talk much when he was drunk.

"Yeah, that'll be the day," Suigetsu said, knowing that Kiba was being sarcastic. "I mean I guess you could call what he does when he gets drunk being more talkative," Suigetsu said after a moment of thought.

"What doest that even mean?" the brunette asked. He couldn't picture Sasuke drunk, but his guess was that the raven would be an angry drunk if anything, certainly not talkative.

"Let's just say, I think Sasuke has an alternate personality when he's drunk, one that's a little loose," Suigetsu tried to put it nicely. In his perspective saying loose was better than saying his best friend was a slut when he was drunk.

"How would you even know that?" Kiba asked, wondering if he even wanted to know.

"When we were in high school, I made him come to a party and he didn't want to drink because he didn't really know how alcohol would affect him," Suigetsu said, trying to choose his words wisely. He didn't want to say that Sasuke thought it might make him angry because of the things that happened to him. "It made him loosen up, relax, and apparently flirtatious."

"He hit on you?" Kiba couldn't help but laugh.

"God no, apparently I'm not his type," Suigetsu explained. "But this blonde almost twice his size was, I thought I was going to have to hurry him out of there before he got himself hurt."

"Oh," Kiba laughed. "You're right this will be hilarious." The two realized how far they had fallen behind their friends and sped up to join their conversation. Kiba could only smirk as he looked at Sasuke and Naruto, knowing the night would be nothing short of entertaining.

**NS**

The group arrived at the party and Naruto immediately pulled Sasuke over to get a drink. "Come on you have at least one drink," the blonde said cheerfully.

"Must I keep reminding you that I only said you were tolerable?" Sasuke asked, trying to hide the smirk that threatened to show. Despite his words, he continued to let himself be pulled along with the blonde.

"You know you want a drink, don't deny it," Naruto said. The blonde looked back at Sasuke and realized that if he moved his hand about an inch down that they could be mistaken for holding hands rather than Naruto grasping his wrist. He didn't know why the thought of holding Sasuke's hand made his heart beat quicken momentarily, but it was enough for him to stop concentrating on the dark haired teen.

"You're not going to get me to drink," the raven said, sure that his will would not break. Sasuke did not get drunk often and he had a rather low tolerance level for alcohol. There was no way he was going to let himself lose his inhibitions around Naruto, the blonde would probably make him do something stupid – he just wasn't sure what yet.

"You should know, I won't give up until you have at least one drink, perhaps two," Naruto said, smiling at him while handing him a beer. Sasuke sighed, knowing he was going to regret his decision as he grabbed the beer. Sasuke was proved correct in thinking he'd be regretting his decision, as one beer turned into many more. A fast paced song came on came on and Naruto looked at Sasuke with a glint in his eye, "Come on dance with me."

Sasuke looked at Naruto, they both were obviously drunk as Sasuke said, "Why not." He let himself be led to the dance floor and let the blonde take the lead, even in his drunken state Naruto couldn't help but think that it was very uncharacteristic of the raven.

When they got to the dance floor, Naruto found out what Suigetsu already knew: Sasuke was a loose drunk. Naruto was obviously the less drunk of the two, as Sasuke was willingly grinding the blonde and letting his hands roam where ever they pleased without any complaining.

"This is only going to lead to trouble you know," Shikamaru pointed out to Suigetsu and Kiba who were watching in amusement.

"How do you figure?" Kiba asked.

"It's going to be really awkward tomorrow," he replied.

"They won't remember anything tomorrow," Suigetsu said, knowing how trashed they were, or at least how trashed Sasuke was.

"You can only hope, cause they'll blame you guys for letting it get that out of hand," he said, knowing Naruto would not take grinding with Sasuke very well. He doubted that the raven would take it too well either, considering that sober Sasuke only found Naruto tolerable.

"He's right, we should stop watching. I mean, if we don't know, then we can't get in trouble for it," Kiba reasoned.

"Yeah, you tell that to Sasuke when he asks what happened tomorrow," Suigetsu said. They all knew Kiba's reasoning wasn't very good; Suigetsu was just the first to point it out.

"Fine, then I say we just refuse to tell them," Kiba said. They all looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"One good thing is coming out of tonight," Suigetsu smiled.

"What's that?" Kiba asked, wondering what was already good about that night.

"Now we all know that Sasuke is apparently more forgiving when he's drunk," Suigetsu laughed as he looked at his friend and the blonde. He had a feeling that Sasuke never hated the blonde as much as he said he did, which was why he had forgiven him so easily. Suigetsu felt that if it had been anyone else, Sasuke would still be very angry.

Naruto and Sasuke were still dancing for the third song in a row. They seemed to be stuck together like glue, as other people had tried to steal each of the guys away from one another, but they refused. By the third song they were facing each other, still dancing sexually. Sasuke had his hands in Naruto's hair and Naruto had his hands practically everywhere. Their faces were so close that if someone bumped them or if one moved forward a little bit, they would probably be kissing. When Naruto was tired of dancing, he pulled Sasuke off to the side, where some of their friends were hanging out.

The blonde seemed to ignore the fact that their friends were there, as he still concentrated on Sasuke and only Sasuke. Before any of their friends could say anything to them, Naruto randomly blurted out, "You're hot." Everyone knew he was talking to Sasuke; he was looking straight at the raven as he said it.

It was probably the dark haired teen's answer that shocked some of them most, "So are you." He had a drunken smirk on his face as he said it and he was still very close to the blonde. All their friends just looked at each other, not really sure what was going to happen next.

"I've always thought you were really good looking," Naruto said again, dragging out the "e" on really as he put his arm around Sasuke for support. Sasuke leaned against the wall behind him, to support them both, rather than pushing the blonde off.

"I don't care," he said, initiating a drunk and sloppy kiss as he pulled the blonde closer to him. The blonde put his hands on his waste as Sasuke wrapped his arms around his neck. It wasn't really clear who started it, but Suigetsu was sure he could see some tongue action going on and that was when he turned away from the scene in front of him.

"So I knew tonight was going to be interesting, but I wasn't expecting that," he said to Kiba, who was next to him.

"You can say that again," the brunette said, as he looked anywhere other than his best friend and Sasuke. He personally didn't want to see if it got anymore graphic than that and it was obvious neither did any of their friends.

"They're lucky Sakura isn't here," Kiba laughed. He knew that the Sasuke obsessed girl would have made a huge scene just by Naruto dancing with Sasuke, let alone the two kissing.

"Or at least Naruto is," Suigetsu agreed. "Seriously, you should have got this on tape, we could have blackmailed them."

"Again, or at least Naruto," Kiba said, causing them both to laugh.

**TBC…?**

**This wasn't supposed to be the ending, but it is because I went into what their friends did at the party and I wanted to keep the material and I don't want to make the chapters too long so I added a chapter… Do you guys like the chapter? Let me know…**

**Also, don't be fooled by this chapter, it will slow down again…remember they are drunk and you do stupid things when you are drunk…**

**People may think this is going from one extreme to another, but I think that this is something Naruto would do if he got any sort of forgiveness from Sasuke…and then by making Sasuke a loose drunk this chapter was made…**


	14. More Than Tolerable

**Note: Just wanted to say happy new year to everyone...in doing so I bring you a new chapter...thank you to all that reviewed the last chapter, it is much appreciated **

**Title is for the last scene of this chapter….**

**This chapter is pretty much the second half of last chapter…**

**So this is the extra chapter, it is a little longer than the other ones and looks more at the other characters than it does at Naruto and Sasuke…**

**As always I own nothing**

**Please review…**

**Chapter 14: More Than Tolerable**

Shikamaru was trying to avoid Ino and Temari. They both came out with them and both were looking for him. The problem was, every time they all three hung out together the two girls fought, silently saying that he should make a decision already. If it were that easy, he would have made a decision. He liked them for different reasons and it wasn't like he could just pick the one that was hotter because he found them both appealing. All he wanted to do was get out of there and find a nice hill to look at the stars, but he figured someone would see him leave and both girls would know exactly where to find him, he was sort of predictable in that sense.

"Have you seen Ino and Temari?" Shikamaru asked Sai, who was standing quietly by Hinata and Shino, all three of them not looking as if they were enjoying the party much. The brunette figured if Sasuke wasn't drunk he might be right there with them.

"Ino was talking to Choji a few moments ago, I believe she was looking for you," he smiled, obviously not seeing that this was a bad thing. "Temari was talking to Gaara, she looked angry, or at least I think she was angry. She was clenching her fists as she looked around," he said while keeping the smile on his face. Shikamaru could only think that the guy was clueless when it came to people, or at least was acting like it, because every one knew that it meant that those two were looking for him. Shikamaru cursed under his breath as he thanked Sai and leaned against the wall behind Hinata, Sai, and Shino, hoping the two girls wouldn't find them.

Every now and then Hinata would try to strike up conversation with Shino, but none of them led anywhere. It wasn't until Shino surprised her by asking "Do you like Naruto still?" that a conversation got started.

She blushed as she looked down and played with her fingers. Naruto had been her high school crush; she had always been in love with him, or at least the idea of him. "I can't really help it," she stuttered as she played with her fingers. She always stuttered when she was nervous.

"Even after seeing him kiss Sasuke like that, you like him?" he asked. He couldn't believe the girl could be so dense. It wasn't as if she had a shot with the guy, yet she was infatuated with him. It was understandable when it was a movie star and the girl understood she could never have him, but for it to be a friend, made it ridiculous. He just looked at her in disbelief, feeling sorry for Kiba, knowing that he may never have her because her heart belonged to his best friend.

"I know it's foolish, but it's not something you can turn off and on," she said once again stuttering and wondering why this was suddenly coming up. She hoped that it wasn't because Shino had a crush on her. Hinata knew that she had harbored no feelings for the bug-loving boy. "Why is this coming up?" she looked down, trying not to stutter, but it didn't work as she played with the hem of her shirt.

"Today's activities had me wondering if you could possibly still love him," he shrugged. "You seemed so interested in talking, so I provided a conversation piece, that's all."

She looked at him, wondering if that was truly all and she genuinely hoped that it was. Hinata just nodded, deciding not to try to engage him in conversation again. "I'm going to talk to Kiba," she hurried off to the brunette, causing Shino to frown. He knew that her encouragement of him liking her would only make it hurt all the more when she turned him down. She was always so nice to him, more so than she was to anyone else, besides Naruto, giving him some hope that maybe she did in fact like him. Shino, however, was starting to think that maybe she just saw him as a best friend and not boyfriend material.

**NS**

Hinata walked over to Kiba, she seemed upset. Kiba looked at Suigetsu as if to tell him to leave them alone, "I'm going to find," he paused for moment wondering whom else in the group he really talked to since his friends didn't tag along and Sasuke was occupied, "Neji." It was the first name that came to mind; he sort of talked to him since the older man wouldn't let anyone in his room that he didn't know at least a little bit about. While Sasuke said he was cool, that meant nothing to the longhaired man.

"What's wrong?" Kiba asked after Suigetsu walked away.

"Do you think Shino likes me?" she asked. Kiba almost choked after the words came out of her mouth; he was shocked to think that he may have to compete with two friends for her affection.

"Shino? Why do you ask?" He wondered, thinking Shino showed no signs of interest in Hinata ever since he met her.

She looked down, "He asked if I still liked Naruto." Kiba felt his heart sink, feeling he knew the answer to that question. "I was hoping it wasn't because he was interested in me. I wouldn't want to break his heart."

"Oh, I don't think Shino's been interested in anyone as long as I've known him. I think you're safe," Kiba reassured her, knowing he had to get to the bottom of things.

"Thanks Kiba, you're the best friend a girl could have," she said as she hugged him. He frowned at her words; they were the worst words that a guy in love with a girl could ever hear. Kiba had a feeling he would always be stuck in the friend zone; it almost made him wish he had never entered it to begin with.

**NS**

Suigetsu walked over to Neji, who looked as if he was debating something, silently fighting it out in his head. It amused him; he almost didn't want to interrupt the brunette's thoughts. "Care to share?" he asked with a chuckled as he knew he startled the man. While he was only a few years older than the rest of them, he was considered a man. He was a grade ahead of them in high school and now 20, almost old enough to buy booze, and knew people who would buy it for him. While in high school he was seen as goody-good Hyuuga, however, college had changed him. He still wanted the approval of his family, however, that didn't mean that he didn't help his friends get booze. He knew how to not get caught and sweet talk his elders; therefore he knew he would never be suspected of assisting a minor get alcohol.

"What do you want?" Neji asked the light haired teen, annoyed that he could tell something was wrong. The guy was hardly his friend and yet he could see right through him, what did that mean for his actual friends. The only way he could explain it was those stupid eyes, but he couldn't say that to Suigetsu, it would confuse the hell out of him. If he confused him, then he'd have to explain how confused he was about Gaara and the way he felt about him and that didn't sound appealing.

"I'm just confused," said Neji as he sighed, trying to think of a way that he could be confused and not be gay. Everyone knew that it was not like him to be confused about anything.

"From what I hear, that doesn't sound like you," Suigetsu said as he looked at the longhaired teen. Neji knew that something like that was coming, that the guy wouldn't just let it go. He was like Sasuke in some ways, but in others he was just like Naruto. He knew if Naruto was sober and knew he was confused he'd be doing the exact same thing.

"That's with school, this is completely different," Neji snapped, annoyed with how nosy he was being. It just made Suigetsu laugh, he was used to guys like him, mostly because Sasuke was like him. They both wanted their privacy and annoyed when people pushed for an answer. He was obviously strong willed, as he was not giving Suigetsu an answer to his initial question.

"Care to explain?" Suigetsu asked, knowing he was probably crossing a line. He was a hardly friend with Neji. The light haired teen was bored and the two people he was an actually friend with at the party were busy, so he figured he had nothing to lose with bothering the brunette.

"Not to you," was his simple answer. It almost shocked him how blunt he was about it, usually Neji a little more polite. Suigetsu then realized that the brunette was aggravated, not with him, but with Gaara. He'd never personally talked to the redhead, but it seemed that Neji had.

"So what'd Gaara do to you?" he asked, worried he might get punched for doing so. Neji just glared at him, which was nothing considering he was used to Sasuke's glare.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, looking away from Suigetsu. He tried not to look back at Gaara, causing him to become uneasy. Suigetsu just looked at him, not believing a word he said but he remained silent before realizing what Neji meant when he walked over.

"Wait, you're confused about Gaara? As in you're confused if you like him?" Suigetsu connected the pieces and it all made sense.

Neji put his hand over Suigetsu's mouth to silence him, "Shut up, do you want everyone to hear you?" He looked around to make sure no one was looking at them.

Suigetsu just grinned at him and said, "I'm right, aren't I?" He couldn't believe he didn't see it sooner; it was obvious by the way the two of them acted.

"No, you're wrong, I can't like him," Neji said as he looked at Gaara. "It's not right, my family would never approve." Suigetsu just looked at him as if he were crazy, not believing that he would sacrifice his happiness for his family's approval.

"Your family should be happy for you as long as you're happy," Suigetsu said. "It shouldn't matter if it is with a boy or a girl," he continued. When he saw the look on Neji's face, he knew that for some people that just didn't happen.

"You don't understand how traditional the Hyuuga family is obviously," Neji said. He once again looked at Gaara, feeling he'd never have what he wanted.

"Well sooner or later someone has to break tradition, you just have to be ready to lose your family if they don't accept the real you," Suigetsu offered. Neji just frowned, remaining silent as he let the words process. He'd never been one to against his family and he wasn't sure he was ready to start.

"Tenten is the safe choice," Neji pointed out after a moment. "I am meant to be with Tenten," he said, thought not believing his words.

"Is she really the choice that will make you happy?" he asked. Neji just sighed, feeling more confused than he did when Suigetsu walked over. Before Suigetsu came over, he thought he'd choose Tenten because she was safe, but Suigetsu had him questioning if it would truly make him happy. Rather than thinking about it, Neji just took a drink and decided he didn't want to think anymore that night.

**NS**

"Dude, I," Naruto started to say, however, he tripped which cut off his sentence and started the laughter. Kiba just looked at him as if he were crazy; since he was much more sober than the blonde. "I am so drunk," Naruto continued, dragging out the "so" and slurring his words.

Kiba just shook his head and looked at their other drunken companion, Sasuke, who wasn't any better off than Naruto. The brunette regretted sending Suigetsu away when Hinata came over, as it then left him alone with Naruto and Sasuke. He could only blame himself for the situation he was in, knowing he couldn't let his best friend attempt to get back to his dorm on his own in his condition.

Kiba was glad when they made it to the dorm with only a few incidents of falling on the stairs. He was just happy Naruto and Sasuke weren't being all touchy feely like they were at the party, he wasn't sure he could handle that the whole way to the dorm.

"Come on give me your key," Kiba said, hoping they'd make this easy on him.

"I don't know where I put it," Sasuke drunken smirk appeared on his face as he leaned on Naruto.

"Come on, it's got you be in one of your pockets. I know you're drunk Sasuke, but can you not be a moron," Kiba sighed, wishing he'd drank more at the party so he could be as happy as the two roommates.

"I'll look for it for him," Naruto grinned and looked at Sasuke as if he were his prey as he pushed the raven up against the wall and started to search his pockets while kissing his neck. "Not in the back pockets," Naruto said as he started to kiss Sasuke and as he searched his front pockets. Kiba could not believe he was standing there watching them make out just so he could make sure his friend got in his room. Just as he thought about leaving, Naruto said, "Found it."

Kiba rolled his eyes as he took the key. "It couldn't have took that long to search his pockets," he said under his breath.

"What'd you say?" Naruto asked with a smile as Kiba unlocked the door.

"I said get inside," he said as he handed Sasuke his key back, knowing it'd probably get lost somewhere in the room that night. He didn't want to know what they were going to do that night; his job was only to make sure they got to the room safely. He couldn't help but think that Naruto was right; Sasuke certainly did find him more than tolerable when he was drunk.

**TBC…?**

**It will slow down again after this chapter…however these last two chapters were fun to write and necessary to build on their attraction for each other**


	15. The Morning After

**Note: I'm glad people seemed to like the last few chapters…**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 15: The Morning After**

Kiba and Suigetsu walked down the hall Tuesday morning, feeling surprisingly good for having gone out the previous night. "I wonder how they're doing considering they both have class today," Suigetsu laughed. They both knew that Sasuke and Naruto had a lot to drink, while they had taken it easy for once.

"Should we go wake the sleeping beauties up?" Kiba smirked. Suigetsu smiled as he followed Kiba down the hall.

"We shall," he replied. He found it odd how comfortable he was with Kiba so quickly. He knew he found it relatively easy to adapt to people, however he and Kiba became friends faster than normal.

"Think it's unlocked?" Kiba asked. He thought it might be a dumb question considering how drunk the two were the night before he doubted that they actually locked the door.

"You told me earlier that they were falling down the stairs, I really doubt they locked their door," Suigetsu pointed out. "But we can always just try it and see," he added. Kiba nodded, knowing he was right.

Suigetsu turned the knob, opening the door. "I guess that answers the question," Kiba smiled. "Now for the fun part," he grinned as he walked in. He stopped short though we he looked at the position the two were in. "Do you have your camera?" Kiba asked, wanting blackmail this time.

"Use your phone," Suigetsu said, trying to be quiet so he didn't wake them up. Kiba pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the two sleeping.

The picture under normal circumstances wouldn't be anything bad, however, they had been drunk the night before. The two were tangled up in the same bed, luckily still fully clothed. They had their arms and legs all intertwined together and their faces were mere inches apart. One of Naruto's hands was in Sasuke's hair; the other seemed to be grabbing his butt. One of Sasuke's arms was draped over Naruto, the other disappeared on the side he was laying on. It looked as if they had passed out while making out on Naruto's bed.

"Wake up love birds," Kiba said as he walked over to Sasuke's bed, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at them.

"Leave me alone," Naruto said as he curled further into the heat source that was next to him. He was warm, tired, and happy to be in bed. _'Wait, why am I so warm?'_ Naruto thought, though didn't really care until the heat source moved once another pillow was thrown at them.

"Come on you assholes, get up," Kiba said as he threw a pillow again, causing Sasuke to move.

"What the hell," Sasuke groaned, wondering why he was being woken up. What was worse, he was wondering why he had such a bad headache. _'I'm warm I don't want to get up,'_ Sasuke thought as he almost went back to sleep, not wondering why he was warm or what he was laying on.

"You have school today buddy," Suigetsu said, knowing it would earn him a glare once Sasuke had time to process what he said.

Sasuke finally opened his eyes. It took a moment but he realized he was laying on someone, "What the fuck?" Sasuke said as he quickly moved off the blonde, causing a worse headache than the one he had.

"What's going on?" The blonde asked as he sat up just in time to see Sasuke getting off his bed. He was confused as to why Sasuke would be on his bed in the first place; the last thing he remembered from the previous night was making Sasuke drink with him.

"Why was I in your bed?" Sasuke demanded to know. He could feel the hang over which was causing him to sit down or throw up.

"I don't know," Naruto said as he lay back down, trying to remember what happened.

"What happened last night?" Sasuke looked at Suigetsu. The light haired teen looked at Kiba, they had promised each other not to say anything.

"I don't know," Suigetsu said as he offered his friend some aspirin to try to help the hangover, but he knew it wouldn't do much. He knew that Sasuke was going to see right through that. They knew each other too well and could tell when the other was lying or telling the truth.

"Stop lying to me and tell me what the fuck happened," Sasuke said, pissed off that he let himself drink so much.

"Obviously someone isn't as happy sober as they are drunk," Kiba said, causing Suigetsu to laugh. Sasuke just glared, looking ready to attack. Kiba wasn't scared; he knew as long as Sasuke had a hangover, he couldn't do any harm.

"Let's just tell them," Kiba sighed. He didn't really want to be responsible for what happened, but they did have a right to know what they did.

"Please do so I can go back to bed and sleep this damn hangover off," Sasuke said.

"He's a little bitchy when he has a hangover, no wonder he was letting Naruto take control last night," Kiba said with a laugh. Both Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened at his words.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke asked, thinking maybe he didn't hear him right.

"You guys were practically attached at the hip last night. You were kissing and dancing, all that stuff," Suigetsu explained. Sasuke just looked at him, wondering why his friend wouldn't step in when he saw him getting that drunk.

"I don't believe you guys," Naruto said. While he believed that he would make out with Sasuke, he didn't think Sasuke would make out with him.

"I think Ino was taking pictures at one point, it was kind of creepy actually," Kiba said. "But really does it matter, I mean you're both gay," the brunette pointed out. He didn't know if Sasuke wanted that information known to Naruto, but he didn't really care. By the way the two were acting the night before, he felt it should be made very clear to Naruto that Sasuke was gay, as if there weren't enough signs as is.

Naruto didn't respond for a moment, all he could think about was his attractive roommate being gay. "I guess it doesn't," he said as he looked at Sasuke, who had kicked Kiba off his bed and was lying on the bed in the same outfit he wore the night before.

"Come on Sasuke get up, its almost time for class," Suigetsu said as he pulled up the raven.

"I don't wanna," Sasuke said into his pillow. Suigetsu could only smirk at the way he was acting as he pulled his friend out of bed.

"You have to, I'm not going to that creepy teacher's class alone," Suigetsu laughed, knowing that Sasuke didn't really want to miss a day of class. He specifically remembered when they started school that he and Sasuke promised to make each other go to class unless they were truly sick.

"I'm sick," Sasuke said as he lay back down.

"No you're not," Suigetsu pulled him up again. "I don't think being hung over counts as sick," Suigetsu laughed causing Sasuke to sigh and give in. "Glad you agree, now time to get changed." Suigetsu grabbed some clothes out of Sasuke's closet and pushed him into the bathroom so he could get changed.

"You're cruel," Kiba said as he shook his head. Suigetsu just smirked at him, not answering.

**NS**

"Can you tell me why the hell I went out the night before I had class?" Sasuke asked, taking a pause as he thought about why he was going to class. He had a pounding headache, he hardly felt ready to deal going to class. "I can't believe you got me to go to class," Sasuke said as they walked down the hall. He was a little more coherent since the morning. He still wasn't sure if he was awake enough to deal with Orochimaru's class.

"I'd bet ten bucks Naruto doesn't go to class," Suigetsu said with a laugh.

"I'm sure he won't and then I'll be hung over and alone in that class," Sasuke complained. They walked for a moment in silence before Sasuke asked, "So was it really that bad last night?"

"Well, lets just say you are very forgiving when you're drunk," Suigetsu laughed. "I mean that's the only way I know how to describe it."

"Damn it," Sasuke cursed as he leaned on the wall by their class, waiting for the professor to come and unlock the door. Suigetsu could tell that something was on the raven's mind, he wasn't sure what but he had a feeling it had to do with the previous night.

"It was just dancing and kissing," Suigetsu said, trying to give his friend some peace of mind. "There's nothing major about that, it's not like you were trying to kiss a straight guy this time."

"That's not the problem," Sasuke said as he closed his eyes.

"Then what is?" Suigetsu asked, knowing that Sasuke didn't want to answer the question. Whenever he didn't come right out and say it then it usually meant that he didn't really want to admit it to himself or it was something traumatic.

"I only hit on guys that are my type when I'm drunk," Sasuke said, causing Suigetsu to laugh. Sasuke wanted to act like he didn't remember what happened, but the activities of the previous night had been coming back in bits and pieces the more he thought about it. "It's not funny," he glared, obviously frustrated. "I can't be attracted to that moron!"

"Sasuke, I could have told you a long time ago that he was your type. I mean he's blonde with blue eyes and pretty well built. It's like they guy was made for you," Suigetsu teased.

"Will you just shut up, please," Sasuke said, not wanting to hear any of what his so-called friend had to say.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," said Suigetsu with a laugh. They went silent for a moment before Suigetsu asked, "So what do you think of Kiba?"

"Excuse me?" Sasuke asked, feeling that he wasn't awake enough for the day, let alone where this conversation was heading.

"Do you think he's gay or I guess the better word would be bi?" Suigetsu just looked at his feet as he asked the question, finding everything except Sasuke very interesting.

"He's in love with Hinata, you realize that right?" Sasuke asked, not wanting his best friend's heart to get stomped on.

"That doesn't mean he's not bi," Suigetsu pointed out, sounding more hopeful than convinced.

"I've never known him to date guys, but I don't know him that well. You should ask Naruto," Sasuke said, biting his lip just thinking about the blonde. "I wouldn't get your hopes up."

"I know," Suigetsu frowned. He hated feeling as if he his feelings were just one-sided, but he knew that it was most likely true that Kiba would end up being straight. He didn't want to ruin their friendship because he kind of liked him.

**NS**

"So give me every detail on what happened last night," Naruto said to Kiba once Suigetsu and Sasuke were gone. He needed to know how stupid he was and if he had made a fool of himself.

"Suigetsu already told you guys." Kiba sighed. " You guys had one too many drinks, you danced, and then when you came back you guys started making out and hardly stopped the rest of the night. Really once that started, I just looked away. You're my friend and all but I don't need to see you shoving your tongue down Sasuke's throat," Kiba said, knowing that last part really wasn't necessary, but it would get to the blonde so he added it anyway.

"Gee thanks, what a great friend I have for not stopping me," Naruto said with sarcasm.

"Are you mad that you got Sasuke drunk and still weren't able to get him to strip for you?" Kiba smirked. Naruto threw the pillow at him that Kiba had woken him up with, causing the brunette to laugh. They both knew that he'd never let the blonde forget about what he said when he was drunk.

"Shut up, you are no help," Naruto whined.

"Look, I don't think you would have detached yourself from Sasuke unless I had a crowbar or something to make you," Kiba exaggerated. Naruto sighed, wondering how he was going to be around Sasuke with out it being awkward. He hadn't meant to go from tolerable to make-out partner just by getting him drunk.

**NS**

Shikamaru was eating lunch at his usual spot, a grassy hill on the outer ring of the campus. It was quiet and not many people passed by it because there were not many classroom building near it. His lunch was interrupted when a certain blonde walked up to him. "I knew I'd find you here," Ino said, her annoyance clear in her voice.

"How troublesome," he said under his breath, but she heard it.

"Everything is to you, isn't it?" Ino asked. She was getting fed up with him not being able to pick whom he wanted to be with.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, looking at her.

"It's too troublesome for you to pick who you want to be with, so you just avoid us both the entire night rather than making up your mind," she explained.

"I wasn't avoiding you," he sighed.

"We both know that's a lie," she looked at him, not convinced by his words.

"I'm sorry that I don't know what I want, but it's just not that simple," he said. She just frowned, deciding that she no longer wanted to be apart of the conversation. Ino walked away toward the center of campus, just wanting to get away from Shikamaru because he was just making her more frustrated. As she walked she saw Sai and Sakura talking, or more arguing.

"Hey guys," Ino said as she walked up to them. "What's going on?"

"He keeps calling me ugly when he sees me," she said as she crossed her arms, annoyed. Ino could only laugh.

"It's a nickname, is that not what people do?" Sai asked.

"They're generally nicer," Ino explained, feeling sorry for Sai's lack of social skills.

"You're just not offended by him because he calls you pretty," Sakura crossed her arms, annoyed.

"It's not my fault he says what he thinks," Ino shrugged; happy she walked up to them. She could always count on Sakura's antics to cheer her up.

"Whatever," she mumbled but she was still not happy about it. "Anyways how was the party?"

"Fun," Ino said, deciding not to tell her about Sasuke and Naruto.

"Did anything interesting happen?" she asked, never wanting to be one to not know gossip.

"Nope, you didn't miss anything she said before Sai had the chance to tell her the truth. She looked at Sai, giving him a look trying to tell him not to say anything. He kept his mouth shut and Ino just smiled, making Sakura none the wiser about what happened. Ino knew if she found out Sasuke was gay it would crush her. She felt that Sakura had to move on before she would accept the fact that her long time crush didn't like women and she had no chance to begin with.

**TBC…? **


	16. Avoidance

**Note: Thanks for all the reviews; glad people seem to like the story…**

**I just outlined a chapter that I think people will like a lot, but it will be a long time until it's posted, honestly I can't wait to write the chapter…**

**Chapter 16: Avoidance**

Avoidance seemed to be the way the week progressed, as neither Sasuke nor Naruto seemed to make an effort to speak or look at each other. They didn't want to have t talk about the night and what happened between them, however that was all either of them could think about when they looked at one another. It had been exactly a week and Naruto was hoping that maybe it had all just blown over, "What are you doing today?"

"Hanging out with Suigetsu," was Sasuke's short and simple answer. He didn't ask anything back, he didn't look at him, and he didn't invite him to come with. Naruto was certain that Sasuke was avoiding him at all costs, even if he was trying not to show it.

"Oh," Naruto said, as he looked at his feet. He didn't get a reply, Sasuke just simply walked out of the room. The raven didn't want the conversation to go on any longer than needed, he didn't want the blonde asking any more questions, and he certainly didn't want to look at him any longer than necessary.

Sasuke still hadn't gotten what had happened figured out in his head, he didn't understand his actions. He knew he found Naruto attractive, so that should be enough to just let him move on and accept that that was why he kissed him while drunk. His mind, however, wouldn't let him accept that answer, it just kept coming back to the blonde even though Sasuke didn't want it to.

**NS**

"So tell me again why we can't hang out in your room?" Suigetsu asked as they sat in his room. Juugo was listening on the opposite bed, though he pretended that he wasn't. Their friend had started to feel left out lately because Kiba and Suigetsu had become friends and so they started to hang out with Naruto and Kiba more than him.

"Because he's there," Sasuke said, making Suigetsu roll his eyes. Juugo was confused as to what the big deal was.

"You need to get over it, it was just kissing and dancing," Suigetsu said. Sasuke sighed as he sunk into the chair he was sitting in. Juugo looked at Sasuke's reaction and knew it was more about whom he kissed rather than the kiss itself.

"Who'd he kiss?" Juugo asked. Suigetsu looked at his roommate, almost forgetting that he was there. Sasuke frowned, not wanting anyone else to know his misfortune of kissing the blonde.

"Naruto and it's not that big of a deal," Suigetsu said as he looked at Sasuke. The raven just crossed his arms, showing that he disagreed.

Juugo just remained silent, taking all of the information in about the events that he's been missing. Sasuke noticed that he seemed to be processing and suddenly realized how much they had been leaving him out. "You know you could start hanging out with us when we hang out with Kiba and Naruto," he said, also trying to use it to change the subject. Juugo just nodded.

"Yeah, you've been missing a lot, like how much Sasuke and Naruto flirt but pretend that they aren't," Suigetsu said, knowing he was going to get at least a look. Instead of a glare, he got a punch, which he admits he deserved.

"We aren't flirting, I've never flirted with that moron. At least not that I can remember," Sasuke said, making sure to cover for when he was drunk. He didn't know if he said anything stupid when he was drunk, he couldn't remember much of anything from that night. All he knew was he had drank way too much.

"What, you'd guys be good together. I mean he's good for you, he makes you loosen up," Suigetsu smiled, knowing he'd get yelled at again. He was pushing Sasuke's buttons and having fun doing so.

"I'm serious Suigetsu, shut up," Sasuke said, wondering why the light haired teen was his best friend. He just sighed, knowing that he'd have to take crap for the night until someone else did something for everyone to talk about. He had a feeling however that Suigetsu would never let him live it down as long as they knew Naruto.

**NS**

"I saw you talking to Tenten last night," Gaara said as he and Neji sat outside near the redhead's next class. It was a conversation that Neji wasn't sure he was ready to have, he wasn't sure was ready to make a choice. He looked at Gaara, knowing that his family wouldn't accept the younger man.

"Yeah, she's a great girl," he shrugged; turning away he didn't want to have to look at Gaara as he hurt him.

"I see," Gaara said, having a feeling that he knew what that meant. He knew that Neji was scared because he thought no one in his family would approve of him being gay. Part of him figured it would turn out this way.

"I'm sorry," Neji said. He never wanted to hurt Gaara, he wanted to be able to go against his family, but he couldn't. He hoped that maybe Gaara knew that he was the one who truly had his heart and maybe that would be enough, even if he couldn't have him, but he knew that wouldn't really mean anything to him. In reality actions speak louder than words, his actions were probably saying that Gaara wasn't enough. "I do want to be with you, I just can't."

Gaara was silent for a moment. He looked at Neji and said, "It's fine; I just didn't know Hyuugas were cowards." He got up to walk away, but Neji immediately pulled him back.

"What the hell does that mean?" Neji was infuriated that anyone would call his family cowards. Gaara just looked at him, his eyes were unreadable and uncaring, but Neji just knew that was to cover up how hurt he truly was.

"You're a coward, you won't go against your family because you're scared, so you're going with the simple choice," Gaara reasoned. Neji was silent; he didn't have a response, or at least not one that would make everything better. Gaara just looked at him and frowned as he walked away. Neji wanted to call out to stop him, but there was nothing more to be said, it was over.

**NS**

Naruto hated avoiding people, one of the only things he hated more was being avoided. He hated the way he and Sasuke were acting and just wanted them to get back to where they were before the party and before the journal incident. He just wanted them to be friends. He didn't want to be tolerable, he didn't want to be make-out partners at parties, and he certainly didn't want to be avoiding each other. He just wanted to be hanging out like they used to with Kiba and Suigetsu.

As he walked through campus he spotted Sasuke and found the perfect opportunity. He quickly ran up to him, "Sasuke!" The raven tried to ignore him, but the blonde wouldn't take that as he caught up to him, stopping the dark haired teen.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, annoyed that he couldn't get away.

Naruto knew he had to stand his ground and make sure that he wouldn't let Sasuke just walk away from him like he had in the past. He would not be blown off and ignored forever. "We need to talk," Naruto said, using the most serious tone of voice he'd used in awhile.

"Go away, there's nothing to talk about," Sasuke said as he tried to walk away. Naruto wouldn't let him slip away that quickly, he pulled him back by the arm, making them a little too close. Sasuke blushed at the position they were in and cursed himself for his reaction to the blonde. Naruto couldn't help but like the reaction he got from Sasuke as he saw the blush that dusted the pale cheeks of the other teen, it made him not want to let go. "You've made me stop, I think you can let go now," Sasuke said, his voice not quite as steady as it usual.

Naruto let go, causing Sasuke to back away. He decided not to attempt to walk away again; he didn't want a repeat of what had just happened. "Now that I've got you here, we can talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" Sasuke sighed, getting his emotions under control. He didn't understand why the blonde made him react the way he did. Naruto annoyed the crap out of him, yet every time they were in compromising positions it made him blush.

"The other night and don't say there is nothing to talk about because we both know there is," Naruto said. Sasuke bit his lip, knowing he really didn't want to talk about the party.

"What about it?" Sasuke asked. He knew he'd been avoiding the blonde and figured that Naruto was pissed about it. Naruto probably wondered why he was avoiding him; Sasuke just wished he knew the answer to that question.

"You're avoiding me, you have been since the party," Naruto said. Sasuke just looked at his feet, suddenly finding the ground very interesting. He didn't know how to reply, so he was deciding not to. After a moment of silence, Naruto said, "I'm serious, why have you been avoiding me? It was just a kiss, can't we just move past it?"

Sasuke was about to respond when he saw Orochimaru. The man was looking straight at him, smirking at him. Sasuke was frozen as Naruto tried to get him to respond. The blonde was confused and started to look for what could have distracted Sasuke, that was when he saw the man looking straight at him.

"Sasuke, who is that?" Naruto asked, snapping the raven out of whatever spell the man had on him. He got no response from Sasuke other than being pulled along away from where the man was sitting. "Sasuke what's wrong? What's going on?"

"Shut up," Sasuke said, he could feel his heart racing in his chest. He just had to get away from Orochimaru, but he wouldn't do it alone. He wouldn't give the man the opportunity to catch him alone. "You want me to stop avoiding you, I will, just shut up." Naruto went silent as he looked back at the man, wondering what just happened.

**TBC…?**


	17. Research

**Note: I'm glad people seem to like this story…**

**As always, I own nothing, enjoy and please review…**

**This chapter is kind of short...**

**Chapter 17: Research**

Naruto paced back and fourth in Kiba's room. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget the man who was staring at him and Sasuke. "I have to know who he is," the blonde said finally, after not saying a word the entire time he'd been there.

"What are you talking about?" Kiba said, confused by his friends actions. From his point of view, Naruto was acting crazy.

Naruto wondered whether to tell Kiba or not, then decided he'd have to if he was going to drag him along in his research. "Okay, when I was talking to Sasuke the other day about why he was avoiding me I was getting no where. Suddenly Sasuke stops talking and I look where he's staring and this man is staring at us, or I guess more at Sasuke. Then suddenly Sasuke starts pulling me away from where we were and says he'll stop avoiding me if I stop asking questions about the guy," Naruto explains.

Kiba looks at him, finding it odd that Sasuke would change his mind so suddenly. "Fine I'll help you, but if we get caught this is on your head not mine," Kiba said. "I'm not getting killed in my sleep by an angry Uchiha."

"He won't kill you in your sleep, I mean come on if he hasn't killed me yet, he sure won't kill you," Naruto laughed and Kiba agreed.

**NS**

Kiba is easily distracted when it comes to Hinata, Naruto should have known better than to take a route where they were likely to run into her. All he wanted to do was go try to find the man again so he may find out who he is, however, Kiba had other ideas. "Hey Hinata," he smiled when he saw her and Sakura walking through campus.

"Hello Kiba," she smiled. "What are you guys doing?" she asked.

"The moron is doing research on Sasuke," Kiba laughed. He knew the two girls wouldn't tell anyone, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't piss off Naruto. They had the kind of friendship where they could tease each other but were also there for each other.

"What do you mean research?" Sakura asked, knowing she was the resident Sasuke expert. She wondered why her friend wouldn't come to her if he wanted to know something about Sasuke.

"She might know something you should ask her," Kiba pointed out. Naruto wasn't sure that he was right, but went against his better judgment and asked anyway.

"Okay so we're trying to figure out who this guy is that was staring at Sasuke the other day. He's old, has long black hair, I think brownish eyes," Naruto described him.

"Sounds like our business professor's guest speaker," Hinata spoke up timidly. "His name is Orochimaru, President of Sound Incorporated."

"Orochimaru?" Naruto let it sink in, he thought he'd heard the name before, he wasn't really sure why.

"Yeah, he's kind of creepy, owns a lot, let me know if you find out anything," Hinata said timidly as she played with his fingers.

"See even Hinata thinks he's creepy!" Naruto said. "Hinata's always right," he said, making Hinata blush.

"You don't even like girls, would you stop flirting with one," Kiba mumbled, annoyed that his best friend was just encouraging Hinata's crush.

"Shut up Kiba," Naruto rolled his eyes. "So, back to Orochimaru, do you know anything else?" he asked.

"Oh, that's Sasuke's guardian," Sakura said excitedly, happy to contribute.

"Sasuke's guardian?" Naruto asked, wondering why Sasuke would want to get so far away from the man who had raised him for so long. "Thanks you guys, you really helped."

"It was nice to see you guys," Kiba smiled as Naruto dragged him along, so that they could sit down. "What's the rush now you know who he is," Kiba pointed out.

"I can't research him in my room," Naruto said as they sat down in the center of campus, knowing it was one of the places Sasuke tended to avoid. He wasn't much of a people person and it was one of the places on campus that full of people. Naruto pulled out his computer and typed Orochimaru's name in.

He scrolled through the information provided, seeing that the man ran a very successful company. He was very powerful in their city and had a lot of influence over many people, or at least by the amount of pictures he had with people in high places it sure seem like he did. "It looks like he practically owns the city," Kiba pointed out.

"Look at all of the stores he owns," Naruto said as he looked at the long list of things he controlled. "It still doesn't show why Sasuke fears him, in all of these pictures he's smiling."

"Type Sasuke's name in with his," Kiba suggested. Naruto did, which narrowed the search. There wasn't anything bad, except for the way that Orochimaru looked at Sasuke.

"He seems kind of creepy," Naruto pointed out. "Do you see the way he stares at him?"

"Sure, but that still doesn't explain Sasuke's fear," Kiba countered. "None of these seem that bad." Naruto remained silent as he just stared at the pictures on his computer screen. None of the headlines were bad, that was true, so nothing could explain what was going on.

"What are you doing?" Suigetsu asked as he looked at the computer screen. He saw Orochimaru and Sasuke on the screen. It made him slightly suspicious that maybe Naruto knew more than he was letting on.

"Nothing," Kiba said as he quickly shut Naruto's computer. They looked at Suigetsu and Juugo, who didn't look convinced.

"Don't lie, that was Sasuke on your computer screen," Juugo spoke out. He was naturally quiet, but he didn't like being lied to. Lying made him not trust the two boys in front of him.

"We were just trying to figure some things out," Naruto explained. Suigetsu looked at him, he disapproved of his methods, but knew he had the right to be curious.

"How did this come about?" Suigetsu asked, wanting to know how he knew about Orochimaru. Sasuke didn't tell anyone about what Orochimaru did, though some obsessed people knew he was his guardian, it made him wonder why he'd look into him.

"I saw him staring at Sasuke and he got all tense, I was just wondering why," Naruto said honestly. He knew this would probably get back to Sasuke; therefore it was best to be honest about it. If he lied, it would just make him look more suspicious.

"You just don't know when to stop, do you?" Suigetsu asked. Naruto looked down, knowing he once again had crossed a line. "If he wants to tell you he will," Suigetsu assured, making everyone else confused. "I assure you that you won't find anything on the Internet," Suigetsu said before walking away.

"What was that about?" Juugo asked.

"As I said to Naruto, if he wants you to know, he'll tell you," Suigetsu shrugged. Juugo just nodded, knowing not to pry.

"Should we tell Sasuke about what just happened?" Juugo asked, knowing that the raven wouldn't like it if someone were invading his privacy.

"No, they're harmless. Naruto's just curious, he won't find anything," Suigetsu shrugged as they continued walking towards their dorm. Juugo remained silent; he felt that they should tell Sasuke, but he kept his feelings to himself.

**NS**

Juugo found himself at Sasuke's dorm, knowing if he didn't tell him, he'd feel guilty. Telling is what a good friend would do. He knocked on the door, waiting for Sasuke to answer. It was only a short period of time before Sasuke answered. "Juugo what are you doing here?" he asked, confused since he hadn't invited him over.

"I need to tell you something," Juugo said. Sasuke moved aside, letting the other in. He watched as his friend looked around the room, making sure they were alone.

"What's up?" Sasuke asked.

"Naruto was doing research on you and Orochimaru," Juugo came right out and said it. Sasuke seemed shocked at first, however, after a moment he realized he shouldn't be. The blonde seemed to want to know about him so it would make sense that he would research him.

"When did you see this?" Sasuke asked. He was mad that Naruto would go to such lengths to find out about him. If he wanted him to tell him, he would.

"When Suigetsu and I were walking through campus earlier," he replied. Sasuke was shocked even more, wondering why Suigetsu wasn't there to tell him.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke's voice was angry, like it were laced with enough venom to kill.

"I already told you," Juugo said, confused by his friend's question.

"No, I mean why are you here and not Suigetsu," Sasuke asked, still angry. Juugo remained silent, realizing his error in saying that Suigetsu was there.

**TBC…?**


	18. Tension

**Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter**

**This is kind of a short chapter...sorry about that...however, for the most part the chapters I'm writing now do seem to be getting longer so look forward to that starting around chapter 20ish **

**I'm doing this update now because I plan to write a couple chapters today, hopefully, and hope to post two chapters today…however, since I updated so quickly it would be appreciated if you also reviewed last chapter **

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review and let me know if you still like the story **

**Chapter 18: Tension **

Suigetsu waited for Sasuke outside of the dormitories, where he had text him to meet. He was unsure why it was so urgent that they meet up, but it had him worried. He wondered if Orochimaru did something or if something had shook him up. When Sasuke walked up he noticed that he was incredibly pissed, it was visible from his body language alone. "Are you okay Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked, worried about his best friend.

"No," Sasuke pause and took a deep breath. "No I'm not, okay."

"What happened?" Suigetsu asked, wondering what could have set him off so badly.

"You," Sasuke answered, making Suigetsu's eyes widen. "Because you are supposed to be my best friend and yet you don't tell me when some moron is researching me and Orochimaru." Suigetsu looked down, knowing Juugo told.

"You know he's not a threat, he's just curious," Suigetsu tried to defend his actions. Sasuke just looked at him, still angry. Suigetsu knew better than to betray his trust, he knew he should have told him.

"That doesn't matter, you still should have told me," Sasuke argued. "In fact, in high school you would have. So I'm just wondering why you didn't now," Sasuke's face grew cold.

"I told you, I knew he wasn't a threat," Suigetsu said, knowing what Sasuke was implying.

"You let your feelings for Kiba get in the way," Sasuke said, annoyed with his friends actions. "You let your feelings for some guy who may never like you back get in the way of being my best friend."

"You and I both know you're over reacting, there is nothing for him to find on the Internet about your situation," Suigetsu pointed out. He didn't like that Sasuke used his feelings against him, though he felt that it might be a little true. "It won't happen again, I promise."

Sasuke was silent for a moment, he knew that Suigetsu didn't really do anything wrong. It was true that no matter how hard the blonde looked; he'd never find his secret online. "It better not," Sasuke said. Suigetsu nodded, he was just happy to know that Sasuke wasn't going to stay mad at him.

**NS**

Sasuke had kept his emotions bottled up inside for a few days. He was looking for the right way to confront Naruto. After debating in his head, he decided to just be straight forward and to the point. He walked into their room and found the blonde sitting on his bed. "Hey Sasuke," Naruto smiled, thinking he'd gotten away with researching Sasuke.

"You researched me," Sasuke said as he looked at the blonde. Naruto's eyes widened, he cursed Juugo and Suigetsu for telling. "You invaded my privacy again."

"I wouldn't call it invading your privacy, I mean it was online for all the world to see," Naruto tried to reason. Sasuke didn't look amused with Naruto's statement. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to know who the guy staring at us the other day was," Naruto admitted.

"Listen to me carefully, just because I tolerate you, doesn't give you the right to research me," Sasuke said. Naruto could tell Sasuke was seriously pissed off, but Naruto was getting mad too. He felt he'd done nothing wrong, it wasn't as if he'd found anything out even.

"Give me the right? I can look up whatever I want on the Internet, once it's on there anyone can look it up," Naruto argued. He knew he probably shouldn't have said that, seeing as Sasuke was already mad at him.

"Stop trying to know more about me. I don't want to get to know you, I don't want to be your friend, I hardly tolerate you," Sasuke said. He was pissed and annoyed.

"Really you more than tolerated me when you were drunk," Naruto said, knowing he shouldn't. He knew that it was not the right time to bring it up. He was just digging himself into a deeper hole.

"Hate to burst your bubble, but it could have been any blonde, you're nothing special," Sasuke practically hissed. Naruto had wished he wouldn't have brought up that night because it brought the fight to a whole new topic. Sasuke was about to walk away, however Naruto pulled him back.

"We aren't finished talking, you can't just walk away every time you don't want to talk about something," Naruto said. Sasuke just glared at him pulling his arm free forcefully. Naruto stood in front of him, not letting him walk away. Sasuke saw no way to escape, causing his defense mode to kick in. Sasuke shoved him out of the way, surprising Naruto. "What the hell?" Naruto yelled.

"Just leave me alone," Sasuke said making Naruto wonder if it was going to turn into another one of their fistfights.

"Sasuke," Naruto started, trying to reason with him as he grabbed his arm once again as the raven tried to walk away. This time, however, the dark haired teen punched him. Naruto didn't want to settle it with violence, but it seemed as if that was what Sasuke was resorting too so he retaliated. Soon it was an all out fight.

**NS**

Meanwhile, Kiba and Suigetsu were sitting in Kiba's room trying to figure out what to do. "We could go see what Naruto and Sasuke are up to," Kiba suggested. "Then maybe we could text Neji and see what he's up to, he has a gaming system in his room."

"Yeah we could do that," Suigetsu said. "But we should probably text Neji first," he pointed out. Kiba nodded as he started to text him.

"He said we could come play, but made a comment about us using him for video games," Kiba laughed. He quickly text him back, _'How did you know? LOL.' _ Kiba just smirked as he sent the text.

"You teased him didn't you?" Suigetsu asked. Kiba just smirked, which answered his question. Suigetsu just shook his head, "Come on let's go get Naruto and Sasuke. I'm sure they're in their room, I know Sasuke is." Kiba just followed him out of the room.

Once they arrived at Naruto and Sasuke's room, Kiba asked, "Think the door's unlocked?" Suigetsu shrugged, figuring it probably was.

"There's only one way to find out," he answered, turning the knob and opening the door. Both boys' eyes widened at the scene in front of their eyes. Naruto had Sasuke pinned to the floor, in a position that didn't look too friendly. Their faces were a little too close and Naruto looked as if he were dominating Sasuke. Once Suigetsu got over his initial shock he said, "I know I told you to get along with him, but I didn't mean this well."

Naruto and Sasuke looked at their friends and immediately blushed at what Suigetsu insinuated. Naruto quickly got off of Sasuke, saying, "It's really not what it looks like."

"Then what is it?" Kiba asked, waiting for the explanation. He found the whole situation amusing.

"We were fighting, Sasuke was obviously losing," Naruto said, making Sasuke glare. Naruto just huffed, annoyed with the way Sasuke was acting. He didn't even know why he wanted to be his friend so badly.

"Why were you fighting?" Suigetsu asked, looking at Sasuke, feeling he knew the answer. Suigetsu couldn't believe Sasuke let Naruto researching him turn into an actual fistfight.

"It's his fault, I was just trying to talk to him but the jerk punched me. He was all mad because I fucking researched him and he just went off on me, not even giving me time to talk and when he did he just got me mad," Naruto explained further.

Sasuke just walked out of the room, not wanting to hear what Naruto said any longer. Suigetsu said, "Sorry I don't think we're going to Neji's anymore." He then hurried out of the room to find Sasuke, which wasn't hard considering he didn't go that far. "What just happened back there?" Suigetsu asked.

"I didn't want it to turn into a fistfight," Sasuke said quietly as he looked down. Suigetsu remained silent as he waited for him to continue. "I felt trapped, he had me cornered. It just felt so much like what Orochimaru would do," Sasuke admitted.

Suigetsu frowned; he hated seeing Sasuke so vulnerable. "Naruto's not like Orochimaru, he's not going to hurt you because he takes pleasure in it. There aren't a lot of people in this world like him," Suigetsu tried to comfort him.

"But there are people out there," Sasuke said. Suigetsu could only remain silent; he didn't know how to respond to him. It wasn't as if he could deny what Sasuke said.

**TBC…?**


	19. Job

**I meant to post this yesterday, but I went shopping instead so I never got to it…**

**Let me know what you think of the chapter and if you still like the story…**

**Also, thanks to all of those that reviewed **

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 19: Job**

"I'm sorry," Naruto said as he and Sasuke sat in their room. They hadn't talked for a week. Sasuke just remained silent, not wanting to hear what the blonde had to say. Instead, he just read his History book. "Seriously Sasuke, I'm sorry about the research, about trying to make you talk, and I'm sorry about fighting," Naruto said, just wanting them to start talking again. The blonde hated the tension between them.

Sasuke looked at him, putting down is book. The raven sighed and mumbled, "The fight wasn't really your fault." He knew it partially was, but it was more so his fault because he didn't tell Naruto about Orochimaru. He knew if Naruto knew about what happened to him, he wouldn't have gotten in his face. He had been talking to Suigetsu, whom had convinced him that it wasn't only Naruto's fault. Suigetsu had pointed out that the blonde had the right to be curious and he really didn't know about Sasuke's past, therefore, he didn't know not to corner him. Naruto was only trying to get him to sort out the conversation that Sasuke had started in the first place.

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked, taken by surprise. He never expected Sasuke to take the blame for anything that had happened that day. He apologized for it all for only because he wanted to get back to how things were, not because he thought he truly was the cause of the whole problem.

"I said, it wasn't all your fault," Sasuke said, looking at him with a glare. Naruto knew not to ask him to repeat himself again, because Sasuke didn't plan to repeat it once more.

It wasn't often Sasuke took blame for things in their fights, so Naruto was happy to see him actually do so for once. "You're warming up to me, aren't you?" Naruto grinned as he moved closer to the raven. He couldn't help it, he knew that Sasuke in high school never would have taken blame; therefore, it was the only possible explanation.

"Shut up moron, I am not," Sasuke said pushing him away as he looked anywhere but the blonde. He hated that Naruto made it impossible for him to stay mad at him.

"Just admit it, you are. Otherwise, you'd do what you did in high school and just glare at me and act as if you wished I didn't exist," Naruto said with a smile. Sasuke rolled his eyes but didn't deny it. "See I knew we were friends," the blonde said as he put his arm around Sasuke.

Sasuke immediately pushed the arm off, "I never said you were my friend. I just said you were tolerable, remember?"

"Okay, you can call it whatever you want," Naruto laughed. Sasuke just sighed, wondering how he had let Naruto become a somewhat friend to him.

**NS**

Sasuke gave a frustrated sigh as he looked through the newspaper. Naruto looked over at him from his bed, wondering what could be so frustrating about reading a newspaper. "What's going on?" Naruto asked as he looked at the raven.

"Nothing," Sasuke answered as he switched positions so he was lying on his stomach, using his arm for support with the newspaper on the bed in front of him.

Naruto didn't believe the answer so he got up and made his way over to see what the other was looking at. "Why are you looking in the classifieds?" Naruto asked as he read over Sasuke's shoulder, his face a little too close for the dark haired teen's liking.

Sasuke took a deep breath, but it didn't help as it just made it so he could smell the cologne that Naruto wore. It wasn't a strong scent, but it was almost intoxicating and Sasuke knew he had to get him away. "Will you stop reading over my shoulder?" Sasuke said, harsher than normal.

Naruto just rolled his eyes, wondering why the raven was in such a bad mood. He thought he saw a hint of a blush, but wasn't sure so he brushed it off as nothing. "I was just wondering what you were doing," Naruto said. "But somebody wouldn't tell me, so I thought I'd take a look for myself," he added.

"Yeah you're good at that," Sasuke muttered. Naruto just rolled his eyes, letting it slide because he didn't want to get into another fight with Sasuke. "I'm looking for a job," Sasuke finally answered with a sigh.

"Really? I need one too! Is there anything good? Maybe we could work together," Naruto said excitedly as he sat down next to Sasuke. The pale teen shut his eyes, trying to will away the headache that came with the blonde's questions. He wasn't sure if he could handle working and rooming with Naruto.

"I really don't think that'd be a good idea," Sasuke said, trying to discourage the blonde from getting the same job as him.

Naruto, however, wasn't listening and was looking for jobs for the two of them. "Look this one says that it has multiple positions available," he said happily. Sasuke just sighed, he was already starting to feel way too much than what he wanted to, he didn't need to have him any his life anymore than necessary. "It'll be fun and it's at a coffee shop," Naruto added with a smile.

"Yeah, sure," Sasuke said. He didn't know why he said it, because he certainly didn't want to. The words just slipped from his mouth before his mind had time to think about what he was saying.

Naruto hugged him, "This will be so much fun." He released him as he said, "See, I told you that you were warming up to me." Sasuke sighed, wondering what he'd just gotten himself into. "It says there's an application we need to fill out, we should go get it tomorrow," Naruto said and Sasuke could only nod and hope that only one of them got the job there, unfortunately, something told him that he probably wouldn't be so lucky.

**NS**

They had filled out their applications, had the interviews, and now they were just waiting to hear back from the owner. It was a new coffee shop and therefore the owner was looking to hire an entire staff and it had been obvious to Sasuke that the owner was looking to hire fast. Naruto had said he was charming in his interview, which Sasuke knew he could be if he wanted to and probably meant that he got the job. Sasuke knew that he was polite in his interview and many times the fact that he was and Uchiha impressed people and that alone was sometimes enough to get him a job. They both had jobs in high school that were too far away to keep when going into college and unfortunately for Sasuke, both would give a good recommendation for each of them.

All of their guy friends were gathered in Neji's room to play video games once again, with the exception of Juugo even though they had invited him. Juugo felt it would be awkward when only knew Suigetsu and Sasuke, who would be caught up with Kiba and Naruto. The two denied that they would ignore him for the two boys, but deep down they knew it was probably true.

"So let me get this straight, you two may work together?" Kiba laughed as he looked at Naruto and Sasuke. He couldn't believe Sasuke had actually agreed to let Naruto apply at the same place he had. Kiba was starting to believe the raven really did have a soft spot for the blonde.

"Shut up," Sasuke mumbled as he played the video game.

Kiba was surprised it was actually difficult to play against Sasuke, as he had never done so before since the raven had never really wanted to play before. The two of them had killed the other guys they were playing and were now battling, so Kiba was trying to distract him.

"It's going to be fun," Naruto said with a smile. Everyone except Naruto could see that Sasuke didn't share his happiness. "Right Sasuke?" the blonde asked.

"Oh yeah, loads of fun," Sasuke said sarcastically as he defeated Kiba with a smirk.

The dog lover just glared at him annoyed by the fact the conversation actually seemed to make him play better. It was as if he was using the game to take out his aggravation. "I'm not playing Sasuke anymore," Kiba said as he put the controller down. "I'd rather hear about you two working together instead anyway."

"Can't we just drop this conversation already?" Sasuke said, annoyed with Kiba. He knew that the brunette was only bringing it up to annoy him at this point. Kiba just smiled at him and Sasuke knew that meant no. Before anyone in the group had a chance to tease them more, Sasuke's phone went off.

"I'll be right back," he said as he walked out of the room to answer it. He sighed as he looked at it and saw an unknown number. Usually he'd send it to voicemail, but since he'd had an interview not too long ago he figured he should answer it. "Hello?" he said as he answered the phone.

"_May I speak to Sasuke Uchiha?"_ the person on the other end asked.

"This is him," he answered, hating not knowing who was on the other end of the call. He figured since it was a woman that it was the owner of the coffee shop.

"_Hi, I'm calling about your interview at Aimi's Coffee,"_ the woman on the other end said. It confirmed his thought that it was the owner of the coffee shop, Aimi. She only gave her first name, saying she wanted a relaxed environment. _"I just wanted you to know that if you wanted the job still, I'd like to hire you,"_ she said in a cheery voice.

"Yes, I would still like the job, thank you," he said in a calm tone.

"_Great can you start Monday at 12?"_ she asked.

"Of course," he answered politely. He was just happy to get a job. He hoped by the end spring he could afford to have an apartment so that he'd never have to worry about living under Orochimaru's roof again.

"_Great see you then,"_ she said happily before hanging up. He hung up his phone and slid it back into his pocket. He let himself smile as he thought what life would be like without having to worry about Orochimaru. He took a deep breath and sighed before walking into the room again.

"Shhh, Naruto's on the phone. We're pretty sure it's with the woman from the coffee shop," Kiba said. Sasuke's good mood turned to one of annoyance as they said that. He could only hope that it was her telling him he didn't get the job. By the smile on Naruto's face, he figured that he was wrong. A few moments later, Naruto hung up the phone and cheered.

"Guess who has a job, I do," Naruto said with a smile. He looked at Sasuke, who was looking at him as if he were an idiot. "What's got you so down?" Naruto asked.

"I got a job there too," Sasuke sighed as he sat down. He couldn't believe his luck, not only would he be stuck with Naruto in Math and in his dorm, but he'd also be stuck with him at work.

"This is great, what's your first shift? I work Monday at 12," Naruto smiled. Sasuke only sunk more into his seat. He was starting to believe that he was cursed.

"Me too," he mumbled.

Their friends just laughed while Naruto just smiled, not understanding what was so bad about them working together. "Cheer up, I promise this will be fun," the blonde said.

"One thing is for sure, it'll be entertaining for the rest of us," Kiba laughed. Sasuke shot him a glare, which only caused him to laugh some more. He loved to tease the raven, especially when it came to things concerning his blonde best friend.

**TBC…?**


	20. Coffee Shop

**I figured that I would post two chapters today…I'm going to try to post tomorrow but I'm not sure that I'll be able to…**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy an please review…**

**Chapter 20: Coffee Shop**

It had been a week and there had been relatively no drama. Naruto was staring to think things were actually going to start to go good between him and Sasuke. They had gotten over being awkward about the journal, the drunken night, and the research he had done on the raven. Naruto was also starting to think that there really was no way he could screw things up even worse than he had already. If Sasuke had forgiven him for everything he'd done, he'd probably forgive him for anything else the blonde may do.

"This is boring," Naruto said with sigh. He hated working nights, only a few people came in every now and then, Really who actually needs to drink coffee at night? The ones who did come in usually ordered the fluffy drinks that hardly had any coffee in them, but they tasted good and were covered in more whip cream than necessary. It always made him laugh when people asked for a light drink with whip cream on top or when they ordered a dessert to go with the light drink, it really defeated the purpose. He always figured if they were that worried about their weight then they should probably stop ordering those kinds of drinks in general and skip the dessert.

"Yeah, it is," Sasuke finally answered after looking around the coffee shop. He sighed, knowing that it was only him and Naruto working, which meant that if he wanted someone to talk to then it would have to be the blonde.

"Any chance you'd tutor me again?" Naruto asked out of the blue. He was hopeful that Sasuke had forgiven him to the point that he would help him. Sasuke just glared at him, answering his question and he knew that meant that even though Sasuke tolerated him, he wasn't ready to be friends again. It was funny to him that Sasuke wouldn't admit they were friends before, but if all it he needed was to tolerate him to tutor him then he should be able to tutor him. It made him a little happy knowing that it meant there was a chance that if he won back his trust, they could be friends again. "Okay, I understand," said Naruto, nodding.

Sasuke looked down, feeling a little bad for how disappointed the blonde sounded. He didn't understand his feelings, as he had rejected people many times before with no remorse. Before either of them could say another word, the bell above the door chimed. Sasuke looked up and froze. He was at the cash register that day and knew he'd have to take his order.

Naruto recognized the man so he asked, "I know that's the man form the other day, do you want me to handle it?" Sasuke was surprised that Naruto recognized him from only seeing him once, but he nodded and moved away from the register. He didn't care if it made Naruto only wonder more about why he hated and feared Orochimaru, after what happened that day, he wasn't sure he was ready to face him again.

"Can I take your order?" Naruto said in a less than friendly tone. He knew the man did something to Sasuke, it made him not like him right from the start. He couldn't like a person who cause fear in someone he considered a friend.

"Is that anyway to greet a paying customer? You really should be more friendly, maybe smile," the man said with a smile that made a chill run down Naruto's spine. He had about feeling about the man in front of him.

Naruto wished that the feeling was only because of Sasuke's fear, but it wasn't, it was the look in the older man's eyes that old him something wasn't right. "I see nothing wrong with my attitude, do you Sasuke?" Naruto asked. Sasuke just shook his head no, unable to look in their direction let alone speak. He didn't trust his voice at the moment. "See, Sasuke agrees," Naruto smiled. "So what would you like to order?" he asked once more, wanting to get the man out of there as fast as possible and not willing to back down.

Orochimaru already did not like the man in front of him; he had far to strong of a will. "I'll only order from Sasuke," Orochimaru announced. Sasuke took a deep breath, hoping he could keep his cool talking to the man. Naruto looked at Sasuke's reaction, knowing he had to make an excuse for him.

"I'm working the register today, not him," Naruto said. It was a lie, but he didn't care so long as Sasuke didn't have to interact with the man.

"We all know that is a lie, I saw you switch when I came in," the man said. "I mean, it took me so long to find out when he was working, the least you can do is let him take my order," the man smirked. Naruto was starting to hate that smirk. "I am his guardian, it's good for us to keep in touch."

Naruto was about to protest, but Sasuke interrupted by saying, "it's fine Naruto, I'll take his order." Naruto just looked at Sasuke with a frown, he didn't want to let Sasuke near the guy, but he knew it wasn't his place to say anything. "What can I get you?" Sasuke asked once he walked over to the register. He didn't look at the man, but instead at the cash register in front of him.

Orochimaru loved the affect he had on the boy's emotions. "I'll take a regular coffee, black," he said.

Sasuke couldn't help but think that the coffee fit him perfectly; it was black like his soul. He didn't say anything as he punched in the code for the coffee. He read of the price, trying not to show that he was letting the man get to him, but he knew it wasn't working.

Orochimaru gave him one last smirk as Sasuke handed him the change back. The older man made sure that their hands touched, just so that they'd have some sort of contact, even if it weren't the kind that he truly wanted. He walked over to get his coffee, grabbing it quickly because he didn't care to interact with the blonde again. Before he left, Orochimaru said, "I'll be seeing you Sasuke."

The raven hated those words they haunted him. He didn't know if they meant just in business class or if he planned to see him again outside of class. He leaned against the counter once the coffee shop was empty again and he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked. He was worried about his friend's well being. He may not know what was going on, but it was obvious that it involved the creep who had been in the coffee shop not five minutes earlier. Sasuke remained silent, which Naruto took as a no. "So any chance you'll tell me what that was about?" the blonde asked, trying to press his luck. Sasuke just looked at him, making Naruto shut up. "Okay, I get it," he said.

The room went silent for a moment before a moment before Sasuke finally spoke out, "Hey Naruto?" The blonde turned to look at him, but didn't get his hopes up that Sasuke would tell him anything, he knew better than that. "Thanks," Sasuke said, as he looked down.

"For what?" Naruto asked. He was unsure what he'd done to deserve a thank you from Sasuke, even if he was happy to receive one.

"For trying," he replied. "You don't even know what's going on, but you tried to handle talking to him for me," Sasuke explained.

Naruto smiled, he could tell he earned big Sasuke points just by doing one thing, which he figured any friend would do. "Of course, any friend would do that," Naruto shrugged, hoping Sasuke would agree that they were friends.

"But we aren't friends," Sasuke said. Naruto sighed, just when he thought he was making progress with him, he is proven wrong. "I just tolerate you, remember?" Sasuke added. Naruto rolled his eyes, knowing that at the rate they were going, he'd be Sasuke's friend in no time, or at least he hoped.

**NS**

It was a day later and Kiba and Naruto were sitting in Kiba's room. The brunette could tell something was on Naruto's mind because he hadn't said a word since he'd got there. "If you aren't going to talk, then why are you here?" Kiba asked, knowing it was probably about Sasuke.

"Sorry I was just thinking," Naruto sighed.

"I understand now, your brain is wondering why it's actually being used," Kiba teased.

Naruto threw a pillow at him and glared. They always joked about Naruto being dumb or dense. The truth was it just took him a little longer to understand things and apply himself, especially if he wasn't told directly. The only time he was truly dense was in relationships and understanding when people liked him. "Shut up, this is serious," Naruto said. Kiba went quiet and looked at his friend, wondering what could get him thinking so much. "It's about Sasuke," Naruto added.

"Of course it is," Kiba said. He knew it had something to do with him. He had accepted a while ago that his best friend had a crush on Sasuke.

Naruto ignored his comment, deciding it would be no use to respond. "That guy, Orochimaru, came into the coffee shop yesterday. Sasuke practically froze when he came in and then after he left he was distant again. We hardly talked the rest of the day," Naruto sighed in frustration of not know what was going on.

"Is he talking to you today?" Kiba asked. He couldn't help but think that Naruto was just overreacting, that he really had nothing to worry about.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean he's a little distant but nothing like he was before," Naruto said as he looked at his best friend. Kiba's face said it all, the brunette didn't even have to respond for Naruto to know what he was going to say. "Okay I get it, stop looking at me like that. I get it that I may be overreacting a little bit."

"A little? Its not like he stopped talking to you. My guess is that the guy just need to clear his head," Kiba said. The brunette sighed; he knew that he'd been spending a lot of time Suigetsu when he was starting to Sasuke. Kiba was happy he found a friend like Suigetsu, not only to talk about the drama their best friends caused, but also to help get away from all the drama.

"I guess you're probably right," Naruto calmed down. "It's just I feel like I'm on one big roller coaster. You know, one that has lots of loops and hills that we go up and down. One that I've never ridden and never know what's coming next," Naruto said as he lay down on the bed he was sitting on so that he could stare at the ceiling.

"I get what you mean, but roller coasters are fun," Kiba pointed out.

Naruto just glared at his friend, feeling that he didn't understand what he had meant. As he looked at Kiba's smiled, he realized that he knew exactly what he meant. "Shut up," Naruto mumbled. "You know what I mean," the blonde added, making Kiba chuckle.

"Doesn't mean that I can't mess with you," the brunette smirked. Naruto just rolled his eyes in annoyance.

**NS**

Sasuke walked to a part of campus that he knew most people didn't go to because there weren't a lot of classroom buildings or food places. It was mostly staff, but that was only every now and then. He was debating whether or not to call his brother. He sighed and finally gave in, dialing the number. He knew that Itachi would be the only person who could make things better at this point. _"Sasuke, is everything okay?"_ Itachi answered after only two rings.

"Why does something have to be wrong for me to call?" Sasuke asked. "Can't I just call to say hello?"

"_You never do,"_ Itachi pointed out. _"You only call for special occasions or bad ones."_ Itachi said, making Sasuke sigh, he knew his brother was right.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I really need someone to talk to," he said. He knew his brother was busy so he hated having to resort to calling him.

Itachi got up and closed his office door, making sure that no one would bother him. _"Sasuke, you know that you could never bother me,"_ the older Uchiha replied. _"What's going on?"_ he asked, obviously worried.

"Orochimaru is here, on campus," Sasuke paused. Itachi could tell that he was going to continue so he waited silently. "He's the guest speaker in my business class and he knows where I work," Sasuke finally added.

Itachi frowned, knowing that Sasuke was more traumatized by Orochimaru. It was understandable considering that he had to endure him longer and the man seemed to favor him, even if Itachi tried to protect him. _"Do you need me to come down there?" _Itachi asked, knowing that if he were there the older man wouldn't dare mess with Sasuke. It wasn't much, but it would give Sasuke a couple days of peace.

"You really don't need to do that," Sasuke said, not wanting to interrupt his brother's business life. "I know that you're busy," Sasuke added.

Itachi could hear the tone in his younger brother's voice that meant that he needed him there. _"I think that I should,"_ he said. _"I have plenty of time I can take off,"_ he then added.

"But you're needed there," Sasuke tried to argue.

"_I think that you need me more. They can handle a few days without me. I'll have my cell phone if they need anything. I mean really if they can't be without me a few days then the wrong people are hired,"_ Itachi said, trying to convince Sasuke that everything would be okay if he took off work a few days.

"Okay," Sasuke said. He knew once Itachi made up his mind, there really was no changing it. "I'll see you then."

**NS**

Sasuke started walking toward his dorm when he saw Suigetsu sitting on a bench. His friend looked bored, so he walked up to him. "What are you doing?" he asked, though he wasn't sure that he wanted to know why he was all by himself. The light haired teen always seemed to find someone to hang out with, so there had to be some reason and he had a feeling that it had to do with Kiba. He knew that Suigetsu had been spending a lot of time with Kiba when he wasn't with Sasuke and that he was starting to have feelings for the brunette, so he was worried what the answer may be.

"Avoiding Kiba," Suigetsu answered.

Sasuke just nodded. He wondered what the reason was, knowing it could be a number of things. "Why?" he asked. Sasuke just looked at him, expecting an answer.

Suigetsu sighed, he felt embarrassed about his reason. "Because I'm not sure about my feelings for him," Suigetsu admitted. "I told him I was busy today so that I wouldn't have to hang out with him. Now I'm trying find something to do," he added.

Sasuke just laughed, he kind of understood, but wasn't going to admit that he may be confused about his feelings for Naruto. "I see, well come on, we can try to find something to do together," Sasuke said.

Suigetsu just smiled, he was happy to have a friend like Sasuke. He knew if by chance Kiba asked what he did that day, the raven would back his story that they were together all day. Suigetsu just go up and followed his best friend, happy to have something to do.

**NS**

Orochimaru sat in his home office. Kabuto was over, listening and agreeing with anything the older man said. The man was his mentor; he planned to take over Sound Incorporated once Orochimaru retired or died. "Listen carefully, we will not, or more cannot, let Sasuke move out," the older man said.

"Kabuto didn't know why Orochimaru was so obsessed with the boy, he had a feeling that he didn't want to know. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, ready to follow any order.

"I need his schedule, daily routine, anything he does, who he hangs out with, I want to know about it," Orochimaru said. "Also, if you see him heading somewhere, you tell me immediately."

Kabuto nodded, "I understand, I won't let you down."

"You can't let me down, it would be bad if you did," Orochimaru said, his voice taking a haunting tone to it. "He doesn't know it yet, but he won't move out. I won't let it happen," the older man smirked. Kabuto just nodded, finding the man to be creepier than usual. Something about the boy made something within Orochimaru come alive. "I will break him, he will be back in this house," Orochimaru said. Kabuto was sure he didn't want to hear anymore, so he just nodded showing his agreement as he turned to leave, but Orochimaru stopped him. "One last thing, if you see him alone, call me and do anything necessary to keep it that way," he added.

Kabuto just nodded, wondering what exactly he had gotten himself into. He knew Orochimaru played dirty with business; he was starting to wonder what else fell under that category. He thought he had a pretty good idea, but as long as he didn't know, if any of it came out later, he was sure he wouldn't get in as much trouble. "I understand," Kabuto said once again before leaving.

Orochimaru watched the other man leave. _'I will have Sasuke back in my grasp. He'll be mine to break.' _Orochimaru smirked as he thought,_ 'I can't let him move out, not yet. I'm not ready to lose my power over him.'_

**TBC…?**


	21. Itachi

**Note: This is one of my longer chapters…**

**I like Itachi as the protective older brother who cares about Sasuke, as you'll see in this chapter…**

**This story is probably going to be 60 chapters or so, though I'm not sure since I haven't outlined it all…right now in my outline it's up to 52 chapters and it's getting towards the end…I'm trying to take my time on this story and not rush it because this will most likely be the last story I post**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 21: Itachi **

Itachi stood outside of the dormitory that Sasuke told him he was staying in. He was about to go up and find the room when he heard his name being called, "Itachi!" It was a voice he recognized so he stopped and turned to face the teen running to catch up with him.

"Hello Suigetsu," Itachi said. He knew that the light haired teen was Sasuke's best friend and one of the few people who knew everything.

"Hey, Sasuke told me you were coming," he said. "He's still in class so he wanted me to meet you," Suigetsu proceeded to explain why he called him.

"I see, let's walk and talk," he said as he started to walk into the resident hall. "You'll be honest with me, right?" Itachi then asked, getting straight to the point.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Suigetsu said. He knew that Itachi would want to know everything that had been going on, but that was a lot to fit into a short walk.

"I know Sasuke won't be honest with me. He is going to try to show me that I didn't need to come down here, so I need you to tell me the truth," Itachi explained. "How is he?"

"He has his good days," Suigetsu said, not wanting to worry his Itachi too much. He knew Sasuke's older brother was very protective.

"I know a but is coming," Itachi said, expecting him to continue. He knew that the other knew better than to leave anything out.

"Well Orochimaru is a problem still," Suigetsu sighed. "It seems like he's everywhere, you know? I can always tell when he's had a run in with him because his whole attitude changes."

"What do you mean by run in?" Itachi asked as he stopped walking. He looked at Suigetsu for explanation.

Suigetsu looked at Itachi, feeling that it should be Sasuke telling him all of it. However, he knew Sasuke would leave a lot out for his brother. "He got Sasuke alone once after class, he didn't hurt him physically but Sasuke wasn't right for a while. Other than that it's just him showing up at his work or around school," Suigetsu explained. "It gets to him."

"Anything else I should know?" Itachi asked as he thought about what Suigetsu said. It didn't surprise him that Orochimaru was the cause of the problem once he found out the man was on campus.

"Well, I don't know that it's really a problem," Suigetsu started, causing Itachi to give him a look as if to tell him to continue. They started to walk again as Suigetsu said, "Sasuke's roommate always wants to know what's going on with Sasuke. He'll be asking questions the whole time you're here." Itachi just nodded, happy to be warned about his little brother's roommate.

**NS**

Naruto was sitting in his room, trying to figure out his math homework. He was getting frustrated and ready to just give up. He hated math more than any other class and felt he was doing okay in all his classes in all his other classes except math. When his room door opened, he expected to see Sasuke because he knew that he locked the door, but it wasn't him that walked in.

"How'd you get in?" Naruto asked when Suigetsu walked in with a guy that looked a lot like Sasuke, only older. Suigetsu held up the key that Sasuke gave him, which he set down nightstand next to Sasuke's bed. "Oh, how'd you get that?" Naruto asked, figuring that Sasuke wouldn't give him his key if it weren't for a good reason.

"How do you think?" Suigetsu asked, looking at the blonde as if he were an idiot. Naruto just looked at him as if he wanted further explanation. "This is Sasuke's brother, Sasuke gave me his key so that I could bring him up here."

"Oh, hi I'm Naruto," he said to Itachi. He was excited to meet Sasuke's brother, hoping that maybe with him here he might get some more information about what was going on.

"Hello, I'm Itachi," the man answered. Naruto looked at him with a smile, wondering if that was what was what Sasuke would look like when he was older. The man was handsome, like Sasuke, it was hard not to notice that the Uchihas had good genes. "Is there a reason that you're staring at me?" Itachi asked the blonde.

Naruto didn't even realize that he had started to stare, "Was I staring?" Suigetsu just chuckled, knowing it was because he looked like Sasuke. Itachi just nodded, making the blonde say, "Oh, um, sorry."

"Excuse us, I need to speak with Suigetsu in private," Itachi said as he pulled the light haired teen outside of the room.

"What do you need to talk about?" Suigetsu asked once they were out of the room. He had a feeling that he knew, but he wasn't just going to assume. When it involved Itachi, he knew to never just assume.

"You didn't tell me that the boy had a crush on Sasuke," Itachi said.

Suigetsu just laughed, knowing he was going into protective brother mode, not only on the Orochimaru front but also with the possibility of Sasuke dating someone. "I thought it was obvious by telling you about how obsessed he was with figuring out what was going on," Suigetsu sighed, but Itachi just looked at him as if it were a lame excuse. "Fine, I just thought you didn't need to know," he admitted. "They haven't even admitted that they like each other, they don't need you butting into it."

"So in other words Sasuke likes him too? That means I should be seeing what kind of guy he is," Itachi said. He was annoyed with not having all the information.

Before the conversation could continue, Sasuke walked up to them. "What are you guys doing out here?" he asked. He knew something was up because they weren't talking in the room. If their talk were innocent, they'd be able to talk in front of Naruto.

"Itachi just wanted to know about Naruto," Suigetsu said. "You know he doesn't trust anyone around you," he added.

Sasuke looked at them to try to see if they were lying, but didn't see any deception. "Okay, well, let's go in," Sasuke said. "I'd rather not have him asking more questions than he already does," he then sighed. The two just nodded, knowing the blonde would ask questions either way.

They walked into the room and Itachi wanted to get down to business right away. He knew that Orochimaru would be on campus somewhere, he wanted to make it known that he was here. "Where is he?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke sighed, annoyed that he asked it in front of Naruto. "Do you really want to talk about this now?" he asked as he looked at the blonde, as if an indication of why he didn't want to talk. Naruto became annoyed that he was the only one in the room who didn't know anything.

Sasuke walked over and grabbed his room key, shoving it back into his pocket. "That doesn't answer my question," Itachi pointed out. He felt his question didn't give the blonde any information.

"I don't know, I don't keep tabs on him," Sasuke said as he sat on his bed with a sigh. "In fact, I'd rather not know."

"He probably stays on campus as long as he can, but has to go to work so he's probably in the parking lot," Suigetsu said. Sasuke just looked at him, they both knew that Itachi would do something to the man. It wasn't that he didn't think that Orochimaru deserved it, but he knew Naruto would most likely try to find out what was going on as well.

"Take me to him," Itachi said to Suigetsu. Suigetsu looked at Sasuke, as if to say he was sorry. The raven knew he was only doing it to help him so he just sighed and followed them as the two walked out of the room.

"How do you even know where he parks?" Sasuke asked. He wondered if Suigetsu had been keeping tabs on the older man.

"I saw him get in his car when I was cutting across the employee parking lot to go get food off campus," Suigetsu explained. "It was around this time when I saw him leaving, I doubt he'd change his routine," he continued. "He probably knows you're done with classes now, so he can leave," Suigetsu reasoned.

"If nothing else, we can find his car and wait for him, he has to come back to it some time," Itachi said. Sasuke looked at his brother, knowing how angry with the older man he was, he just hoped he wasn't going to do anything too stupid.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked as he followed them. Suigetsu and Sasuke just looked at him, but didn't answer. Itachi was on a mission that was the only way the blonde knew to explain it, so he didn't expect him to answer him.

**NS**

Orochimaru was putting his things in his car, he had to get to work some time. He had been walking around campus, seeing if he could run into Sasuke any more, but he hadn't. "Orochimaru," he heard from behind him in an angry voice.

The man turned around to see Itachi. It didn't surprise him that Sasuke call his older brother, in fact, he was expecting it eventually. "Hello Itachi," he smirked. The older Uchiha had always put up a fight, in it's own way it was kind of fun.

"Come on," Sasuke said to the other two, knowing it could get ugly and that they shouldn't be there to witness it. Sasuke walked away, Naruto lingered a little, but Suigetsu grabbed his arm and pulled him away to follow Sasuke.

Once Naruto, Sasuke, and Suigetsu were out of earshot, Itachi asked, "What do you think you're doing?" He wasn't afraid of the man; in fact he was ready to hurt the man.

"I don't know what you mean," Orochimaru just smirked.

"You know exactly what I mean," Itachi said. "We both know why you came here. You couldn't abuse him anymore at your house so you decided to mentally abuse him around campus. You're sick," he glared.

"Can you prove your claims?" the man smirked. "Wait, I know that answer, you can't. Sasuke wouldn't go to the police about the abuse, now he has no proof that it ever happened."

"You listen very carefully," Itachi said. "You keep this up and you will feel more pain than Sasuke ever did," he threaten.

"Who's going to bring this pain?" Orochimaru asked. "You're not here to protect him anymore, remember? I know you used to take the pain for him, but you can't anymore, just like you can't hurt me for him when you aren't here to do so," he said smugly.

**NS**

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Naruto asked as they walked back to their dorm. He was sick of being in the dark about everything that was going on.

"This is none of your business," Sasuke said. He was being secretive and cold again. Naruto was getting sick of it. One minute he would be fine and it seemed as if they were friends and the next he would put up his walls again.

"I'm really sick of hearing that," the blonde said as he stopped walking. He hated secrets; he just wished that Sasuke would tell him what was going on.

Sasuke turned to look at him, stopping as well. He looked angry, but Naruto was angry as well. "What don't you get that this is nothing about you're business?" Sasuke asked, he was getting highly annoyed with Naruto. "If I don't want to tell you then I don't have to," Sasuke said, aggravated.

Naruto frowned, knowing he had crossed the line once again. "I'm sorry," he said, looking down. Sasuke didn't say anything else, but Naruto could tell didn't seem as angry as he turned and started walking again. Suigetsu just shook his head at the blonde.

**NS**

Itachi walked back into the room, looking angry. "Are you okay?" Sasuke asked his brother. He knew Orochimaru had a way of getting into people's head.

"I don't want to talk about it," Itachi said.

Naruto just rolled his eyes, thinking that the brothers were somewhat similar; neither of them seemed to talk about things. Naruto's phone rang, interrupting the conversation. He looked at the caller ID, seeing it was his own brother. He found it funny that while Sasuke's brother was there his brother decided to call him. "I'll take this outside so you guys can talk," he said as he walked out of the room.

"Hey Kyuubi," he answered. "What's up?" he asked, wondering why his brother was calling him, he never called for with out a reason.

"Well, I thought that I'd come to see you," the older Uzumaki said. This surprised Naruto, wondering why his brother would just stop by.

"Why?" he asked, the blonde didn't mean to sound as surprised as he did.

Kyuubi chuckled at his brother's surprised tone, though he guessed that he deserved it. "Well, I won't be able to come see you for your birthday like I promised," he explained. "So I thought that I'd come see you now."

"Okay," Naruto said, happy his brother was going to at least make an effort see him close to his birthday. "When are you going to come?" he asked.

"Probably tomorrow," he said. "We can hang out and go out to dinner. You don't have class tomorrow do you?" he asked.

"Only for a little bit in the morning, but after that we can definitely hang out," Naruto said. "Hey my roommate's older brother is here right now, maybe we can all hang out," Naruto said. "I'll try to see if he's staying until tomorrow," he added.

His brother could tell the tone in his voice that said there was something special about his roommate, as he got excited when he talked about him. "That sounds great," Kyuubi chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then," Naruto said, hanging up the phone. He walked back into the room, smiling.

Sasuke just raised an eyebrow at his cheery mood. "What's with you're sudden change in mood?" he asked. He wasn't even sure why he cared, but some part of him did.

Itachi looked at his little brother, surprised that he even cared. He was starting to think Suigetsu was right because Sasuke seemed to put up with the blonde much more than expected.

"My brother's coming tomorrow since he won't be able to come for my birthday," Naruto smiled. "We're going to hang out and go out to dinner. You guys can join us if you want."

"Itachi has to get back to work," Sasuke said quickly.

Itachi just looked at his little brother; he thought it would be interesting to see him interact with the blonde. "Don't be foolish Sasuke, I can stay one more day. I already have a hotel close to the school set up," Itachi said. Sasuke just looked at him, surprised. Suigetsu on the other hand knew exactly what he was doing and gave the older Uchiha a warning look.

"Great, it'll be fun," Naruto smiled.

Itachi just smirked at both his brother and the blonde. "Yes it will," he said. "But I should be getting back to my hotel, I'm sure you both are getting tired."

"I'm going to go too," Suigetsu said, following Itachi out. He gave him a look of disappointment once they were out of the room.

"Don't look at me like that," Itachi said as they walked. He knew what the other was thinking.

"I told you not to meddle," Suigetsu said. "Don't do anything stupid tomorrow, please."

"I won't, I promise," he chuckled. "I just want to see how right you are," he explained. "Maybe mess with the boy a little."

Suigetsu just shook his head as he walked into his room, waving goodbye to Itachi as he said, "As I said, just don't do anything stupid." Itachi just rolled his eyes and Suigetsu knew that he really wasn't listening to him.

**TBC…**


	22. Brothers

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter**

**If you want Kyuubi and Itachi together you're going to have to really convince me, right now it doesn't look like it's going to happen…I haven't finished my outline yet so if you convince me I may change my mind and find a way to do it**

**As, always I own nothing, enjoy and please review…**

**Sorry if this has errors I was listening to the new Hinder CD while reading over it so I probably didn't find all my mistakes…**

**Chapter 22: Brothers**

Kyuubi arrived at eleven in the morning, just after Naruto's class was done, and Naruto decided that he wanted to spend the morning just the two of them. "So where's your roommate?" his brother asked, hoping to get some kind of reaction out of his brother.

"He and his brother are going to meet up with us later," he said and Kyuubi just nodded. "Why do you ask?" he wondered.

"I don't know, you just sounded a little excited when you talked about him yesterday," Kyuubi shrugged.

Naruto blushed, he hoped that his brother wouldn't see that he was a little attracted to Sasuke, but apparently he noticed just from his voice. "I don't know what you're talking about," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Kyuubi could tell just by his mannerisms that he was lying. "You sure you don't like him a little?" Kyuubi teased. He saw his brother blush again and he knew he was onto something.

"No," he said a little too defensively. "I mean he's hot and all, but he's a jerk. I don't like him," Naruto said.

Kyuubi laughed, knowing his brother obviously hadn't fully accepted the fact that he had a crush on the other boy. "If you say so," he said. "I can't wait to meet him," he smirked.

Naruto sighed, knowing that his brother didn't believe him. "Don't embarrass me," Naruto warned, making Kyuubi's smirk widen.

"Naruto, you know I'd never do that," he smiled. "Especially not in front of your crush," he teased.

"Oh, you are so going to embarrass me," he said. "He's not my crush," Naruto knew better than to trust the smile that Kyuubi was giving him. He was starting to think it might have been a bad idea inviting the Uchiha brothers to dinner with them.

**NS**

Naruto had told Sasuke to meet him and his brother at the diner across from the school. When the Uchiha brothers walked in, something in Kyuubi lit up. "Is that your roommate and his brother?" he asked, mainly looking at the older of the two.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Naruto asked. He then looked at the look on his brother's face and he could already tell he was interested. The man hadn't even spoken a word to him, but apparently that didn't matter to Kyuubi.

"I can see why you like him," Kyuubi smirked. "The family has good genes," he was obviously checking Itachi out and didn't care who noticed.

"Don't you even and I don't like him," Naruto whispered, as the two got closer. He smiled when they walked over, ending the conversation between the brothers. "Hey guys," Naruto said.

"Hello," Itachi greeted as he sat down across from Kyuubi.

Naruto couldn't help but notice that the older Uchiha was staring at his brother too. He sighed, thinking that the night wasn't going to go as he had planned. He just wanted a nice night; he knew his brother was going to ruin that by going into flirt mode.

"Hi," Sasuke said as he sat down. Naruto couldn't help but notice that Sasuke didn't seem worried about their brothers. He wondered if maybe he didn't notice it, or if he was just okay with it.

"Hi, I'm Kyuubi," he said with a smiled, as he extended his hand to Itachi. Their hands lingered together for longer than Naruto liked, making him give his brother a look. Kyuubi just shrugged, blowing him off. He also gave Sasuke a much quicker handshake, not wanting to make his brother angry and jealous.

The waitress walked over, smiling about the fact that she had four attractive men at the table to serve. "Are you guys ready to order or do you need a little more time?" she asked. She tried to look as cute as possible in the required uniform, standing in a way that she thought made her figure look good. Much to her annoyance, she got no response from any of the men, except their food orders. "Okay, I'll be right back with your drinks."

"Could she be anymore obvious?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "You should go for her Kyuubi, she was practically undressing you with her eyes," he teased, knowing his brother was bi.

"I'm not interested in _her_," he said as he looked straight as Itachi. "Especially when there's someone better looking around," Kyuubi smirked.

Naruto could only roll his eyes and hope the food arrived quickly. He really didn't want to sit through an entire night of listening to his brother flirt with Itachi. Naruto looked at Sasuke and noticed that he still didn't even seem to care.

"So Kyuubi, what is it you do for a living?" Itachi asked. It annoyed Naruto that the older Uchiha was just encouraging his brother.

"Why does it matter?" he asked as he looked into the other's black eyes. "Do you have certain qualifications?"

"Just making conversation," Itachi answered smoothly, but Kyuubi didn't look convinced. "But wouldn't I have to be interested in you for you to have to meet certain qualifications? I believe you're the only one who's said they're interested," Itachi smirked.

"Oh, we both know you are," Kyuubi said with a predatory look on his face. Naruto was starting to feel very awkward sitting in on the conversation between their brothers.

Sasuke looked over at the blonde, seeing him squirm in his seat. "You know we're still here right?" the raven asked. While he'd been ignoring the conversation, it was obvious that Naruto didn't have the ability to do so, so he stepped in.

"You're right," Itachi said with a smirk. "Naruto, are you good in school?" he asked. He wouldn't want his brother with anyone stupid.

"Well, Sasuke's been helping me with it," Naruto said nervously, wondering why Itachi cared. He didn't like having the older Uchiha's attention on him.

"Is he now? I didn't know that you tutored," he smirked at his brother. "That's nice of you," the older Uchiha said. He was quiet for a moment before he added, "Very out of character, in fact."

Sasuke was glaring at him, he knew exactly what he was insinuating. He could see that his brother obviously thought he was attracted to the blonde, "Shut up Itachi."

Kyuubi looked at their brothers and sighed, he wanted to get to know Itachi better. He looked toward the few arcade games that the diner had to keep kids occupied while they waited for their food and he said, "Here why don't you two go play some games." He pointed to the games in the corner and handed Naruto money.

"I'm not a kid anymore you know," said Naruto, by his tone of voice it was easy to tell that he was offended.

Sasuke just chuckled at his reaction, wondering why if it made Naruto so uncomfortable to sit there, he didn't just take the money and go play the game. He almost said something about it, but he thought it best not to.

"I know you still play video games, so just go play while we talk," Kyuubi said, he gave him a look that said he didn't want to be argued with.

Sasuke just shook his head and grabbed the money and Naruto's arm, "Come on moron." Naruto was surprised by the action, but he went with it and followed Sasuke to the game.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked. "They were starting to talk to us," Naruto said.

"But they weren't going to continue to," Sasuke sighed, it seemed obvious to him that Kyuubi wanted alone time with his brother. He put the money in the machine, making the game start. "Just let them talk, who cares?" he asked.

"Aren't you worried? What if they end up dating, or worse what if they end up being together forever? You could end up being my brother's brother-in-law. We'd be family," Naruto looked horrified at the idea. Sasuke just rolled his eyes, as if the blonde was a moron for even thinking that it would happen.

"Aren't you jumping the gun a little?" Sasuke sighed. Naruto almost protested, but Sasuke cut him off saying, "Just don't worry, it won't happen." He sounded so confident in his statement, but Naruto was unsure why.

"How do you know?" Naruto asked, hoping it would ease his worries.

"Kisame won't let it," Sasuke shrugged. Naruto looked at him confused, as if asking him to explain more. "Kisame works with him and is in love with him even if he doesn't really act like it. Itachi likes him too," Sasuke sighed. "While he may flirt with your brother, my guess is that it won't last, not if Kisame has anything to say about it." Naruto just nodded, feeling a little bit of comfort in his words.

They played until the food came and Naruto was happy because Sasuke actually talked to him. It seemed as if having his brother there was good for him, he seemed more relaxed. He thought it might be awkward because of the mini-fight they had the previous day, but Sasuke was acting as if nothing even happened.

"Guys, the food is here," Kyuubi called them over. He smirked at the two of them and how relaxed they seemed around each other. He was actually happy that the Uchiha brothers came, not only did he get to meet Itachi, but he got to see his little brother in crush mode.

**NS**

Itachi had talked to Kyuubi practically all night, but that didn't mean that he wasn't observing the man's little brother and how he acted with Sasuke. Kyuubi and Itachi trailed behind Sasuke and Naruto as they walked back to the campus. He couldn't see anything bad about Naruto, so there was no reason for him to intervene. From what he could tell Sasuke seemed to like him even if he didn't want to admit it.

"I should be getting back to my hotel, I need to pack and get heading back," Itachi said once they reached the parking lot. It was after dark when Itachi came so the parking lot wasn't being monitored and he parked in student parking. "I'll see you soon, I promise," he said to Sasuke, who just nodded.

"I should get going too, my car's parked across the street," Kyuubi said. "I'll make sure to call you on your birthday though Naruto," the older Uzumaki promised.

Naruto just smiled as he and Sasuke waved by to their brothers, who walked off in the same direction. "They're exchanging numbers aren't they?" Naruto asked as he saw them with their phones out.

"Probably, but who cares? Our brothers are old enough to do what they want," Sasuke said as he started towards their dorm.

"I guess," Naruto sighed. He didn't understand why he didn't want their brothers to be together so much. He just didn't like the idea of Sasuke and him being family through their brothers, he thought it'd make it weird. _'Would really make it that weird as friends?' _Naruto thought as he looked at the back of Sasuke's head. He knew if they were friends, it wouldn't be weird at all. _'Maybe it's my attraction to him that me not want our brothers get together. If I was with Sasuke, it'd be a little weird if our brothers were together,'_ he thought. He bit his lip, not believing he was letting his mind wander there. _'I can't like him I just like his looks. That's normal, everyone does.'_ He didn't really believe himself, which confused him all the more. He hoped it was just everyone's teasing getting to him and not actual feelings starting to surface.

**TBC…?**


	23. The Movies

**Note: I was going to have a different chapter here, but it seemed very much like a filler chapter, so I decided not to write it…it made more sense to have this chapter after anyway…**

**Also, I try to reply to all reviews that ask questions or say something other than that they liked the chapter but I can't do that if the review is anonymous…so especially if you ask a question, don't send an anonymous review I'm fine with getting them but I can't really respond to them… **

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 23: The Movies**

Naruto sat in his room, trying to understand his math homework, yet again. He looked over at Sasuke, who was concentrating on reading for one of his classes, and he couldn't help but wonder if it would be pushing the boundaries to ask him for help again. "So, Sasuke, you know how you stopped tutoring me?" Naruto asked, trying to be nonchalant about it.

Sasuke looked up from his textbook and sighed, "Yeah, why?" He didn't know why he even bothered asking because he knew what the answer was going to be. The blonde seemed to ask him to tutor him again so often, just to see if his answer would change.

"Well," Naruto started, trying to see how he should go about phrasing it. "You see I'm not doing so well in my classes right now. It being midterm and all, I'm just worried if I don't get my grades up now, I'll never be able to," he tried to explain why he was asking first, rather than just straight out asking, hoping to get some sympathy from the raven. "I was hoping that maybe you'd tutor me again," he finally said.

Sasuke was silent for a while, he wasn't sure that he should tutor the blonde. Naruto seemed to make some feelings rise in him that he wasn't ready to face and that he wasn't quite sure of, which really made him want to say no. As he looked at the blonde, however, he found himself unable to say no, which bothered him even more. It made him very conflicted and very confused. Before his mind could process, he said, "Fine."

"Great," Naruto smiled. "So can we start now? I'm so confused about our math homework," he gave a nervous laugh which made Sasuke roll his eyes. The dark haired teen didn't say anything; he just marked his place in his book and walked over to help the blonde. "You're the best," Naruto grinned.

"Hn, I know," Sasuke smirked as he started to help the blonde.

**NS**

Kiba was getting annoyed, every time he tried to hang out with Suigetsu the other boy had some excuse as to why he couldn't hang out. He let out a frustrated sigh, realizing he was being avoided. He then decided to take measures into his own hands; he walked down to Suigetsu's dorm and knocked on it. Juugo opened the door and seemed nervous when he saw Kiba there, which meant he knew that Suigetsu was lying to him about what he had to do. "Where is he?" the brunette asked.

"Who?" Juugo asked, deciding it would be best to play dumb. Kiba just gave him an annoyed look and pushed his way into the room. "Did I invite you in?" Juugo asked, a little angry.

"Juugo it's okay," Suigetsu reassured him before the other's temper got out of hand. He knew he could go from calm to violent in a flash if you didn't know how to deal with him. Juugo just nodded and shut the door, walking over to his bed. "What do you want?" Suigetsu asked as he turned his attention to Kiba, though he didn't look straight at him.

"You're avoiding me," Kiba got straight to the point. Suigetsu wanted to deny it, but he knew it was true. Kiba just looked at him with such confusion and he knew it wasn't fair to keep his distance just because of some little crush he had.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I've been a little busy. But I'm free now, let's hang out today," Suigetsu suggested. "We can go get Sasuke and Naruto and all hang out," he added, not really wanting to be alone with the brunette.

Kiba didn't really believe that Suigetsu had been busy, but he kept his opinion quiet. "Fine, let's go get them," he said, for the time being satisfied that Suigetsu wasn't avoiding him. He walked out of the room, knowing that Suigetsu was following him.

The light haired teen frowned, knowing that Kiba was still a little angry with him. It hurt worse because he knew he had every right to be. He just sighed, hoping that the day would make up for any avoiding he had been doing. _'I can't let this affect our friendship,' _Suigetsu thought as he followed the brunette down the hall.

**NS**

There was just something about studying that seemed to draw Naruto and Sasuke closer, at least physically. The whole sides of their bodies were touching, though they didn't even notice how close they were. It was as if it were normal for them to be so close to each other. "See it's not that hard," Sasuke said as he looked at Naruto, as the blonde finally seemed to understand the material he was learning.

Naruto looked at Sasuke to say something, but he never got the chance. Suigetsu and Kiba walked into their room, as they always did. "You guys look comfortable," Kiba said, looking at how close they were, especially how close their faces were.

Naruto and Sasuke quickly moved away from each other, trying not to blush. "We were just studying," Naruto said quickly. It was the truth but it sounded as if it weren't.

"Is that what you're calling it?" Suigetsu laughed. Sasuke just glared at him, but he just smiled and ignored it.

"I'm serious," the blonde said, more confidently. He hadn't even realized how close they were and it embarrassed him that he was that comfortable so close to him.

Kiba just rolled his eyes knowing that the two were in denial, "Yeah, whatever you say." The brunette decided to just spare them more embarrassment and change the subject, "We wanted to hang out today."

"Unless you guys already had plans," Suigetsu smirked, causing Kiba to laugh. The light haired teen couldn't help it, he knew if he were in the same situation the two of them would be teasing him too.

"It'd be fun to get out and do something today," Naruto said as he gave Suigetsu a nasty look. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, focusing his attention on Kiba.

"I don't know," the brunette shrugged. He thought about it for a while, then he said, "That new horror movie came out yesterday, we could go see that."

Sasuke didn't look very comfortable with the idea, which made Naruto surprised. "That sounds fun to me," the blonde smiled. He wanted to see why Sasuke seemed so uncomfortable, he wondered if horror movies scared him.

Suigetsu looked at his best friend, surprised that he didn't protest. "Sounds good," he said. He figured if Sasuke didn't protest, then he must be okay with going to the movie.

"Great, then let's go," Kiba smiled.

**NS**

Sasuke couldn't help but feel uneasy because he hated horror movies. The problem was, if he said that he hated horror movies, he could be seen as weak and that was not something he wanted to be seen as. Sasuke just looked at the ground as they stood in line for the movie, not wanting to show what he was thinking.

"Are you okay Sasuke?" Naruto asked. The raven didn't answer him; he just nodded his head and continued to look at the ground. Naruto didn't believe his answer, but he knew he wasn't going to get a better one. The blonde sighed as they went to get their tickets and go into the theater.

Sasuke was okay when the movie started; he would close his eyes every now and then, but by the middle it wasn't working. Sasuke hated movies to begin with because it was dark in the theatre, especially during horror movies. He hated horror movies even more for the mere fact that he didn't like the feeling of being scared. He had sat in the seat at the end of the row, hoping that Suigetsu would sit next to him, but Naruto got there first.

By the middle of the movie, Sasuke found himself moving closer to Naruto. It was reflex, not by choice. Every time something caused him to jump, he seemed to move closer. It shocked Naruto when he felt the raven grab onto his arm. "Are you okay?" Naruto whispered.

Sasuke didn't answer the question; rather he just buried his head into Naruto's shoulder. It was uncomfortable because of the armrest between them, but he didn't care.

"Seriously, are you okay?" Naruto whispered again, but he once again didn't get an answer. Instead of trying to ask again, he just put his arm around Sasuke to try to calm him down. The blonde didn't know what else to do, he figured that comforting him was the only logical thing. "It's just a movie," he then whispered.

Kiba looked over at the two surprised by how Sasuke was acting, not only in that he was scared, but also that he let Naruto try to comfort him. He turned to Suigetsu and whispered, "So much for Uchihas being tough." The light haired teen didn't laugh like he wanted him to, making the brunette just sigh and turn back to the movie.

Once the movie was over, Sasuke hurried out of the theatre, followed quickly by Suigetsu. "Sasuke, are you okay?" Suigetsu asked as he followed his best friend out of the theatre. He waited for the other to calm down a bit before he expected an answer.

"You know I hate those kinds of movies," Sasuke said as he looked at the ground. Before Suigetsu could respond, Kiba and Naruto caught up to them. Sasuke didn't look at either of them he just remained silent.

"What was that about?" Kiba asked, looking at Suigetsu and Sasuke.

The two were silent; Suigetsu was looking at Sasuke to answer the question because he knew that he couldn't. "I just don't like those kind of movies," Sasuke said before walking toward the exit of the theater, trying to end the conversation.

"We didn't have to see the movie," Naruto said to Suigetsu, knowing he'd know the reasons for Sasuke's actions the best.

"I think it's best that we just stop talking about it," Suigetsu said as he started to follow Sasuke.

Naruto and Kiba briefly looked at each other before following the other two teens. Naruto wanted to know more about why Sasuke hated horror movies so much, but he decided not to ask. The blonde figured he didn't want it to be more awkward than it already was going to be, considering how Sasuke was practically clinging to him the entire movie.

**TBC…**


	24. Birthday

**I got this chapter out a little later than I wanted to, mainly because I had a really difficult time writing chapter 33 and wanted to get that one done first...**

**I didn't look over this chapter very well, so sorry for any mistakes...**

**As always I own nothing**

**Enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 24: Birthday**

It had been a week and things were still a little awkward. Naruto didn't know what to say to Sasuke to make it less awkward. He hoped that he could talk Sasuke into hanging out with their friends for his birthday, though he knew it would take a lot of convincing. He wanted to party for his birthday and he hoped that in doing so he could make things smooth over.

Naruto walked into his and Sasuke's room to find Sasuke studying on his bed. He figured it would be the perfect opportunity to invite him to his birthday party. "Hey Sasuke," the blonde said, causing the raven only to look up, not to respond. "What are you doing?" he asked, thought he knew it was fairly obvious.

"Studying," Sasuke said as he looked back down at his book. He knew he was probably being a little childish about the whole thing, as no one had said anything about he movie incident since that night. He wasn't sure if they were just doing that to spare him the humiliation, or if it really wasn't that big of a deal. To him it was because it hurt his pride to resort to practically cling to the blonde during something as simple as a movie.

"Well, what are you doing tonight?" Naruto asked. He was hoping to get some real responses from Sasuke, but it seemed as if he wouldn't be so lucky.

"Sleeping," Sasuke said, trying to ignore Naruto.

"How about instead of sleeping, you come to my birthday party," Naruto grinned. "It'll be fun and there will be lots of alcohol," he tried to convince him.

"Do you really want to mix us and alcohol again?" Sasuke asked. He knew it really wasn't a good idea to ask the question, but he was trying to get out of going.

"Come on if we don't get too drunk, it won't end up the same way," Naruto rolled his eyes. "Please, you don't even have to buy me a present, just come. However, a present would be nice too," the blonde joked.

Sasuke just glared, though Naruto was unfazed by it. "I need to study," Sasuke said, turning away from the blonde.

Naruto wasn't going to take no for an answer, he grabbed the book from Sasuke, "You can study later, tonight you're coming to my party." Naruto looked at him obviously determined as he said, "Don't give me some lame excuse, you've been avoiding me since that stupid movie. I don't really understand why since it's not a big deal, I really don't care if horror movies scare you," the blonde added. "What I do care about though, is making you come to my party so we can stop being so awkward around each other," he finished, feeling he put his foot down and there was no way Sasuke could say no.

"Fine," Sasuke sighed, making the blonde smile. Sasuke just hoped Naruto was right and it would make things less awkward and not more awkward.

"Great, hey invite some of your friends too. We can have a big party that way," Naruto smiled. Sasuke just nodded as the blonde continued, "I promise you won't regret coming tonight."

**NS**

The party was going well, but Sasuke knew not to be fooled because it seemed like all parties started well. He decided to limit himself to one beer and nothing else. The raven was talking with Juugo and Suigetsu when Naruto walked up to them. "Come on Sasuke, it's your turn," he said.

"My turn for what exactly?" Sasuke asked, not trusting the blonde, who already looked like he had a little more to drink than everyone else.

"It's your turn to do a birthday shot with me," the blonde grinned. "I'm making certain people do them with me and you're one of them," he said, making Sasuke understand Naruto's current state. Sasuke knew if Naruto kept going at this rate, by the end of the night he'd be wasted.

"How many of these have you had already?" Sasuke asked. He didn't know why he was worried about his roommate's well being, but figured that he should be considering he was currently the most sober one at the party. "Don't you think you should have some water? You're going to get dehydrated," he pointed out.

"After this shot, come on just one," Naruto said. He wasn't slurring his words yet, so Sasuke knew he couldn't be that drunk, however, he was well on his way.

Sasuke sighed and figured it wouldn't do much harm, but before he could even grab the shot, Juugo stopped him. He looked toward him for an explanation, which the other provided, "You said you didn't want to drink too much."

"Come on, it's one shot," Naruto rolled his eyes. He was set on getting Sasuke to do a shot with him, that was the one person on his list he wouldn't give up on.

"It's fine Juugo," Sasuke said, but the other looked at Naruto with distrust. Ever since the research incident Juugo didn't trust the blonde. "As he said, it's just one shot," Sasuke said.

Naruto watched as Juugo backed off, letting them take a shot. He didn't like how the other seemed to be protective of Sasuke; he felt it shouldn't be his job. "There was that so bad," Naruto grinned as he looked at the raven.

"Shut up moron," Sasuke rolled his eyes. They both were relieved that things seemed to be getting back to normal. Sasuke reached into the cooler that held the alcohol and pulled out one of the bottles of water it also held for anyone who didn't want to drink, "Drink this," Sasuke said as he handed the blonde the water and walked away.

Naruto watched him walk away, with a little smile as he opened the bottle of water and followed Sasuke's orders. Even in his semi-drunk state, he could tell that the action meant Sasuke cared at least a little bit about his well being.

**NS**

Sakura was staring at Sasuke dreamily. "I'm going to marry him one day," she said to the girls, which included Karin, Sasuke's fan-girl turned somewhat friend.

"No you won't," the girl glared at her. She knew Sasuke was gay, but that didn't mean that she wasn't going to fight for his affection as well. She wouldn't do it in front of him, but with this pink haired bimbo she certainly would.

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked, angrily. The pink haired girl could turn from happy drunk to mean drunk in a matter of seconds, a person never knew what they were going to get.

"You heard me, if he's going to marry any girl, it'll be me," Karin explained, annoyed with the girl. "Trust me, you're just not his type," she glared. She loved pushing girls buttons when it came to the matter of Sasuke.

Ino caught onto what she said; figuring that she probably knew that Sasuke was gay. "Do you really think this is a time to be fighting?" Ino asked. She knew that she and Sakura used to fight all the time over Sasuke, but it was all just a little high school. In fact, she was starting to feel that maybe life was just a grown up version of high school since a lot people never seemed to change.

"Shut up Ino, this is doesn't involve you right now, this is between us," Sakura said as she continued to glare at Karin. "You listen to me, I have been chasing after Sasuke for as long as I can remember and one day he will reciprocate those feelings," Sakura said.

"I wouldn't hold my breath," Karin chuckled. "If he hasn't reciprocated by now, what does that tell you? I mean at least I'm sort of his friend," the redhead gloated.

Before anyone knew what was happening, it turned into an all out girl fight. Sakura lunged at her, "He's mine!"

There was hair pulling, kicking, a few slaps here and there, at one point Sakura actually landed a punch. "No he's mine," Karin yelled back, about to punch her, but two guys pulled them apart.

"What the hell is going on?" Naruto asked as he held Sakura. The girl was trying to get out of his arms so she could rip Karin apart.

Karin just stood there with Suigetsu holding her back. "She's just mad because Sasuke doesn't want her," Karin explained as best she could, considering she was out of breath.

"She's trying to steal him from me," Sakura yelled as she finally stopped fighting. The two boys just looked at each other, unsure how to tell the girl that her dream guy was gay.

Naruto couldn't believe that one of Sasuke's friends didn't know he was gay. However, once he saw the triumphant look on the girl's face, he started to think that maybe she did. "Can you just stop fighting for me? It is my birthday," the blonde said. Naruto just wanted to have a fun birthday with drinking and a party, not one where people were ripping each other apart.

Sakura took a deep breath and nodded, "Sorry Naruto." She shot one last glare at Karin before walking away, knowing if she stayed in her presence she'd probably try to rip her apart again.

**NS**

Kiba was drunk, he figured this time he would not be left out of the people who were happily partying while drunk. He saw Naruto talking mainly to Sasuke and Suigetsu, though there were others around them. The brunette walked over and sat next to Suigetsu, though he sat a little closer than normal. "Hey Naruto," Kiba said, getting the blonde's attention. "I just wanted to say sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Naruto asked, confused because his best friend hadn't done anything wrong. Had he been completely sober, he may have seen where the conversation was going.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't get Sasuke to strip for you for your birthday," he gave a drunk chuckle. "I know it's what you asked for, but I don't think he'd be too willing," he then added. Both Naruto and Sasuke were blushing from Kiba's words, which made the brunette very satisfied.

Suigetsu looked at Kiba; shocked he'd say that in front of Sasuke. He figured that was something the brunette would tease him about, but not with the raven present. "Kiba, I think you've had too much to drink," Suigetsu said, taking his beer from his hand.

"No," Kiba said as he leaned on Suigetsu, swinging his arm around his shoulders. "I don't think I've drank enough," he argued as he tried to get the beer back, which put the two in a very awkward position.

Suigetsu got out of his grasp, though part of him didn't really mind being so close to Kiba. "Really you have," Suigetsu said, their friends nodded in agreement.

"He's right Kiba," Naruto said. "We really don't need you being a loud mouth stupid drunk tonight," the blonde added. He was still annoyed that his friend said that, knowing full well that both him and Sasuke were sober enough to remember his words the next day.

Sasuke was still trying to process what the brunette had said to Naruto. "We really don't need you revealing anything else," he agreed with his friends. He felt he was better off with out the information that Kiba was offering, he already found Naruto confusing enough.

"Whatever," Kiba said as he stumbled his way to Suigetsu. "Just give me the beer," he looked at Suigetsu as if he were his prey. He could have just gone and got another beer, but instead he made it so he backed the light haired teen into a wall. He placed is hand on the wall next to Suigetsu's face and leaned in close, "There's nowhere to go, just give it to me."

Suigetsu just took a deep breath, half of him liking the position they were in, the other half knowing they wouldn't be in the position if Kiba weren't drunk and if he didn't have the other boy's beer. "Fine," he sighed, handing him his beer back, making Kiba smile triumphantly. Suigetsu had to take a moment to shake off his feelings before he walked back over to the party.

**NS**

Ino was sick of coming second; she knew she was second because Shikamaru was actually talking to Temari. The two of them seemed to be having a good time, drinking and talking. Ino just sighed and knew that if he really wanted to be with her then he'd be talking to her instead of Temari.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked. She could tell that her best friend was upset, it was written all over her face.

"They look happy," Ino said, knowing that Sakura would know exactly what she was talking about.

"I'm sorry," she said. She wished that she could say more to help her friend, but there was nothing else to really say.

Ino just nodded as she said, "I know you think that you love Sasuke, but you have someone who loves you back and you should give him a chance."

"Lee? Are you talking about Lee?" Sakura asked, disgusted. She couldn't believe what her best friend was saying.

"I'm just saying, you've never really given him a chance so you just never know," she pointed out. Ino knew by the look on the pink haired girl's grimace, she wouldn't even consider it. "Okay, I get it, forget I said anything."

"Trust me, I'll get Sasuke, so there's no need to even think about other guys," Sakura reassured her. Ino just frowned, knowing that Sakura would never be with her dream guy.

**TBC…**


	25. Paintball

**I'm trying to get these out fast now because school is about to start for me so you may see a few days with two chapters posted…my posting pace probably will slow down around the 18****th**** I'm going to try to have the story mostly written by then so that it won't slow down too much but there really is no promising **

**I posted last chapter fairly late last night, so I really wasn't expecting to wake up to many reviews this morning, so thanks to the 12 who reviewed last chapter it was a nice surprise this morning…**

**This isn't one of my favorite chapters written, but it works….**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review….**

**Chapter 25: Paintball **

For the most part, the party had worked to make the awkwardness between Naruto and Sasuke go away. It was still a little awkward when someone brought up what Kiba said, but most people didn't give it a second thought and it had all blown over after a week. The blonde was happy that Sasuke didn't start acting weird when Kiba blurted out what Naruto had said when he was drunk. It seemed as if the raven had just wrote it off as Kiba being drunk and stupid.

On the inside, however, it was an entirely different story. Sasuke kept wondering what that meant and why Kiba would say that. Suigetsu talked some sense into him.

"I just don't know what it meant," Sasuke said. "Why would Kiba say that?" He didn't want to make it awkward, but if the blonde was attracted to him, it might become really awkward.

"Sasuke, most people think you're physically attractive, I'm sure that's all it is," Suigetsu said. He didn't understand why Sasuke was really worrying about it.

"I guess, it's just awkward because he's my roommate," Sasuke said, causing Suigetsu to roll his eyes.

"Hate to tell you this Sasuke, but you're attracted to him too," he pointed out. Suigetsu knew that Sasuke knew he was attracted to the blonde, no matter how often he liked to deny it. "Therefore it really shouldn't be a big deal. Remember we went over this after the party incident," Suigetsu pointed out.

Sasuke sighed; he knew that he was right. There really was no denying after that incident that they were physically attracted to each other. "I guess you're right," he admitted, knowing there was really no fooling his best friend.

**NS**

"I'm bored," Kiba said as the guys ate lunch. The conversation of the day had been fairly basic and, indeed, boring.

"Then what do you want to do?" Naruto asked. There wasn't much to do on campus except hang out with friends or study.

Kiba was silent for a while; he appeared to be thinking so they all just waited for an answer. "Paintball," he said after about a minute or so of thinking.

"We can't really do that on campus," Sasuke pointed out, as if the brunette was a moron.

"I know that, but it isn't that far of a drive to where we can," Kiba said to the raven. "Come on, it'll be fun and we can let out some aggression. We can have teams and try to hit each other get the person out," the brunette smiled as the idea kept going.

"Sounds so fun," Sasuke said sarcastically. "Then we'll have paintball sized bruises and be hurting the rest of the week," he added.

"Sasuke stop being so prissy," Naruto grinned as he nudged the dark haired teen. "Kiba's right, it'd be fun," he added.

"I guess it could be fun," Neji said, making the blonde grin.

"See even Neji agrees," Naruto pointed out, as if that would make Sasuke change his mind.

"A few rounds of paintball won't kill you," Suigetsu said, making Sasuke annoyed. The light haired teen wanted something to do, even if his best friend didn't really agree with him as to what fun was. He knew that he could handle paintball; he was actually quite good at it the last time they went.

After much agreement from the rest of the people at the table, including Shikamaru even, Sasuke finally said, "Fine."

"Great, we'll rent the equipment there, let's go," Kiba said, happy that he got his way.

**NS**

As they were walking to their cars, they ran into Sakura, Ino and Hinata. Sakura saw Sasuke and wanted any opportunity to get to hang out with the raven. "What are you guys doing?" she asked, looking at her dream man.

"One word: paintball," Kiba said, thinking that that was enough to make the girls not want to come. He knew Hinata would distract him and Sakura would be all over Sasuke.

"Can we come?" Sakura asked. She didn't really like paintball, but she liked Sasuke. She figured anything that he liked and she could learn to love.

"No," Kiba said, surprising his friends. They all figured he'd take any opportunity to spend time with Hinata. "We're just doing a guys day, you understand right?"

"What, you think us girls aren't tough enough for paintball or something?" Sakura said, obviously annoyed.

"We never said that, we just want a guys day," Kiba said. He was starting to get annoyed with Sakura. He knew if Sasuke weren't involved she wouldn't have even asked or she would have been fine with his excuse of being a guys day.

"Whatever," she said, walking away angry.

"Sorry about her," Hinata said quietly before she and Ino went to find their friend.

"A guys day?" Naruto asked after the girls walked away. "I wasn't aware we decided that," he laughed.

"I just didn't want to have to deal with Sakura today," Kiba said. "We all know she'd be all over Sasuke and really highly annoying," he sighed and Sasuke agreed.

**NS**

Sasuke was not happy, he didn't like being in the outfit for paintball. He didn't like the fact that he got convince to go even. The blonde saw the look on Sasuke's face and said, "Cheer up, you're on my team, isn't that a plus?"

By the middle of the game, Naruto was wondering why Sasuke didn't like paintball. The raven was plenty good at it, so good in fact that it got down to only him and Naruto left on their team against Kiba and Suigetsu.

"Okay, we have to beat them," Naruto said to Sasuke. He knew Kiba would gloat all day if he won; he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

"Yeah, I know," said Sasuke in a bored tone. Sasuke was very competitive so Naruto wasn't worried when he sounded bored.

"Okay, let's split up, that way if they they'll only get one of us at a time," Naruto said. The blonde had been sticking with Sasuke pretty much the whole game, double teaming people.

Sasuke just nodded and was about to go, Naruto helping him watch. The blonde saw Kiba hiding; ready to hit one of them if they moved from behind the beam, so he pulled Sasuke back. "What the hell?" Sasuke asked, confused at the blonde's actions.

"You think you'd be more alert, Kiba was just waiting for you," Naruto said as he looked at Sasuke. He was still holding his wrist, though the grip wasn't as tight as when he'd pulled him back. He couldn't help but admire how attractive Sasuke was, even in paintball gear. He could hardly see his face and the outfit really shouldn't make anyone attractive, but somehow Sasuke pulled it off. Their position should be awkward, as they were relatively close, yet neither of them had moved from it.

"I guess I should be more careful," Sasuke said, staring at Naruto, realizing how close they were. Part of him said to back away, but another part of him told him to say right where he was. He couldn't help but listen to the latter; there was just something about Naruto that made him not back away in that moment.

They didn't snap out of it until they each got a paintball to the arm. "Sorry to ruin your moment," Suigetsu laughed, causing them each to back away.

"We were just talking, we weren't having a moment," Naruto said. He didn't know how he hadn't heard Suigetsu approach them; he was starting to think he was more attracted to Sasuke than he cared to admit.

"If that's what you're calling it, fine by me," Suigetsu chuckled. "I'm just glad we won this round," he smirked.

Naruto saw Kiba walk up and give Suigetsu a high five, celebrating winning, and he knew that the brunette was going to be impossible the rest of the day. "Great, let's play another game, I want to kick your ass this time," Naruto said, deciding this next game to stay away from Sasuke a little.

**NS**

They all went out to dinner after at the diner across from the school they were done. Naruto found himself not wanting to sit by Sasuke for once, part of him did, but then he thought he'd just make it awkward. Instead, he sat between Kiba and Shikamaru.

"Man I'm going to be sore tomorrow," said Kiba as he rubbed his shoulder. He was annoyed that Naruto's team ended up beating them overall.

"But at least we had fun," Naruto said happily. He liked winning, especially when he was able to beat Kiba. It would have been better if he had been able to beat both Kiba and Sasuke because the raven was his high school rival.

"Some of us more than others," Kiba said.

"Oh don't be a sore loser," Naruto laughed. Kiba just rolled his eyes, knowing Naruto would have been the exact same way if he'd lost.

Suigetsu put his portion of the payment on the table, "I should be heading out; I've got class in the morning."

"I'm going to go too," Sasuke said. "I've got class as well," he added as he put his portion of the money down. The two had rode together to begin with, so it worked out that they would go at the same time.

After a short drive back to the school, they started walking to the dorms. "So, what was that thing between you and Naruto?" Suigetsu asked, breaking the silence between them.

"I don't know," Sasuke answered honestly. "He just pulled me back so Kiba wouldn't get me and the next thing I know we're just standing there," he admitted. He was confused; he had no idea why he didn't just move.

"Oh, so do you like him?" Suigetsu asked as they got to his dorm. He knew even if Sasuke did he would probably deny it. The two walked in, continuing the conversation seeing that it appeared that Juugo wasn't in the room.

"No," Sasuke said, though it wasn't with as much confidence as usual. "I mean I don't think so," he sighed, sounding extremely confused. "No I know I don't," he then added.

"Okay," Suigetsu said, seeing that his best friend really didn't know. He had a feeling that he did like him; he just wasn't ready to admit it.

"So you never did tell me how your brothers visit went," Suigetsu said, trying to change the subject, even if it was to something that happened weeks ago.

"It was good for the first half," Sasuke said. "Obviously you know that because you were there most of the time," he pointed out. "But then when Naruto's brother came I was completely ignored," he sighed.

"So the Uchiha brothers are attracted to the Uzumaki brothers? That's funny," Suigetsu chuckled. He didn't mean to actually say it, but it just came out, causing Sasuke to glare at him. "Anyway, has Orochimaru left you alone since then?" he asked.

"Yeah, for the most part," Sasuke shrugged. "But he hasn't had much opportunity, I haven't really been hanging out around campus much outside of the dorms. At least not alone."

"That's true," Suigetsu said.

Juugo walked out of the bathroom, "What has Orochimaru done to you?" The two boys' eyes widened at the question. It was obvious that there was no turning back now.

"You should just tell him," Suigetsu said, knowing that there was no way to get out of this with a lie.

Sasuke was silent for a moment, considering his options. He knew that Juugo was a good friend and if he asked he wouldn't tell anyone. "You can't tell anyone," Sasuke said quietly.

Juugo nodded, waiting for an explanation. "You know I won't," he then said.

Sasuke took a deep breath, "When I lived at home, Orochimaru would abuse me." Juugo's eyes widened it was obvious he was angry and Sasuke was worried he'd lose control of that anger. "Juugo, calm down," he said.

"What kind of abuse?" he asked. "Did he ever hit you? Is he a pedophile?" Juugo added, wondering if he'd ever sexually abused Sasuke. "Why didn't you report it?"

"He never sexually abused me," Sasuke sighed. "Reporting it would have done no good, you know that," he frowned. "Orochimaru holds too much power in this city," he added.

"So he hit you?" Juugo asked. "Would you like me to hit him?" Juugo continued and Sasuke could see his anger coming back.

"Yes, he hit me," Sasuke said with yet another sigh. "Don't hit him, it will only get you in trouble," the teen sighed. He was starting to doubt his decision of telling Juugo. "Please just calm down."

"What exactly did he do?" Juugo said, getting that look on his face that he was going to hurt someone. Sasuke knew it was most likely aimed toward Orochimaru.

"It was different all the time," Sasuke said, not really wanting to relive it. He knew by the look on Juugo's face he wanted more information. "Sometimes he'd punch me, sometimes throw me against the wall, anything really that would cause me physical pain. He just never left bruises where people could see," he explained. "Now it's just mental abuse mostly," he sighed.

"Where is he?" Juugo asked. "Probably home right now?" he was angry, wanting to hurt the man that hurt Sasuke. Sasuke was his friend, the one who included him and made it so he had friends.

"Juugo, just calm down," Sasuke said. "Please don't do anything," he said, looking at his friend and seeing him calm down.

"Fine," he said, obviously not happy about it.

**TBC…?**


	26. Jealousy

**Note: Kind of a short chapter**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review…**

**Chapter 26: Jealousy**

Kisame was getting sick of it; he hated seeing Itachi's phone light up with the name

Kyuubi. He hated how Itachi would take the call in private. The thing he hated the most was that he had no idea who this person was. He started to notice the calls when Itachi came back from visiting Sasuke; therefore, he knew that the boy would probably know whom the person calling was.

He picked up his phone, dialing the teen's number. To him, it felt like forever before Sasuke answered. _"Hello?"_ he finally heard.

"About time you answer," Kisame said, annoyed. He hated waiting when he had a question.

"_You're lucky that I answered at all,"_ Sasuke responded and Kisame knew it was just to piss him off. _"Why'd you call?"_ he then asked, wanting to get to the point.

"Who's Kyuubi?" Kisame asked. "He keeps calling Itachi, I don't like it," he added.

Sasuke sighed, he knew this phone call was coming sooner or later, _"Why don't you just ask Itachi?" _He really didn't want to be apart of his brother's drama; he had enough of his own.

"No, then it'd sound like I'm jealous," Kisame said, as if the idea of asking was ridiculous.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes; he should have expected that answer. _"Well, aren't you?" _he asked.

"That doesn't mean that I want Itachi to know that," Kisame said. He didn't want to ruin his friendship with Itachi over a little crush.

"_He's my roommate's brother," _Sasuke finally said, wanting the conversation to be over. _"Really Kisame, you should just tell him you like him. You may be surprised by the response," _Sasuke added.

"Yeah, whatever. I just wanted to know who he was, I didn't ask for your advice. Bye," he said, hanging up before Sasuke could give him more unwanted advice.

**NS**

Kisame and Itachi were working when the Uchiha's phone when off. Kisame looked over and saw the name Kyuubi once again light up the screen. Before Itachi could grab it, Kisame grabbed it and sent the call to voicemail.

"Can I ask why you sent him to voicemail?" Itachi asked. He was hoping Kisame would just admit that he was jealous. The Uchiha was seeing how long it would take him.

"I don't want you talking to him," Kisame said. He didn't give an explanation as to why, making Itachi annoyed.

"And why not?" he glared. He felt the other man couldn't tell him not to talk to someone without an explanation.

"I just don't," Kisame said, causing Itachi to give him a look that clearly stated that his explanation wasn't good enough. "Can we please just drop the conversation?" Kisame sighed.

"No, the thing is you sound jealous right now," said Itachi, just to see how the other would react. If he said he wasn't then the Uchiha decided he was just going to give up on him. Itachi knew that Kyuubi was obviously interested in him, so there was no reason to just wait for someone who's never going to make a move.

Kisame looked at Itachi, feeling that he should just admit his feelings. He knew it could ruin his friendship with him, but if Itachi liked him and he didn't admit he was jealous he could lose a chance for more with him. He looked down and said, "That's because I am."

"Oh?" Itachi asked with a smirk. It was a pleased smirk, not an evil one that he'd perfected so well. "And why are you jealous?"

"You're really going to make me say it?" Kisame asked. Itachi just nodded, causing Kisame to sigh and admit, "I like you, a lot more than I should."

"About time you told me," Itachi said. Kisame's eyes widened at his words, just making Itachi smirk more. "Don't worry I like you too," he then said, deciding not to torture him any longer.

**NS**

Naruto had been watching Juugo and Sasuke's actions ever since Juugo had started hanging out with their group. He had noticed that Juugo was very protective of the raven. He didn't like it; he didn't feel it should be his job to be protective of Sasuke. Sure they were friends, but it's not as if they were best friends. What's more, it had gotten worse lately, as if something had happened to make him super protective.

"What do you think of Juugo?" Naruto asked Kiba.

The brunette looked at him, confused at the question. He knew that Naruto couldn't have a crush on the guy; he didn't know him well enough for that. "He seems nice enough. Why do you ask?" Kiba asked.

"I don't what it is about him, but I find him a little strange," Naruto said. "He just seems too protective of Sasuke, it's weird," he added.

Kiba laughed, he knew his best friend was jealous and he couldn't help but find it hilarious. "Are you serious right now?" the brunette asked. "Isn't it good that he has a friend who cares about him?" he pointed out.

"But it's too protective. And it's gotten worse, like something happened to make him even more protective. Do you think their secretly dating? That could explain it," Naruto said, trying to think of a reason.

"Why would they secretly date? Think about it, Sasuke is pretty open about being gay, I mean if someone asks he tells the person," Kiba pointed out.

"But he's so secretive, maybe that's one of his secrets," Naruto said. "Or maybe Juugo just likes him, do you think that's it?"

"Naruto, not everyone is gay," Kiba pointed out. Sometimes it was a mystery to him how Naruto's mind came up with ideas.

"I know but come on, it seems like he is. He is always around Sasuke when we hang out, that's got to mean something. And the way he tried to make Sasuke not have a shot with me at my birthday party," Naruto said.

"Naruto, you sound jealous," Kiba pointed out. "He's just a good friend, he hangs out with Sasuke because he doesn't really know anyone else. I mean he hangs out with Suigetsu when Sasuke's not around to hang out with him, is he dating him too?"

"One, I am not jealous," Naruto said, angry that his friend would even suggest such a thing. "Two, he's not as protective of Suigetsu as he is of Sasuke," he added.

"I'm sure there's an explanation," Kiba said, annoyed with his friend's crazy ideas. "Just stop being jealous," he sighed.

"I'm not jealous," Naruto huffed as he practically stormed out of the room. He didn't want to hear Kiba tell him he was jealous one more time.

**NS**

Naruto walked into his dorm room to see Sasuke sitting on his bed, studying. He couldn't decide if he wanted to ask about Juugo or not. However, it seemed that his impulsive nature decided for him, "What's your relationship with Juugo?"

"Excuse me?" Sasuke asked. He wasn't expecting that question, in fact, that was probably the last thing he was expecting.

"Are you two dating?" Naruto asked. He knew by the look that Sasuke was giving him it was a stupid question.

"No, why?" Sasuke asked. The raven didn't understand why Naruto would think that he and Juugo were dating.

"He's just really protective of you," Naruto said, feeling stupid for asking the question. "I just kind of found it weird," the blonde shrugged.

"I can assure you he's just a friend," Sasuke chuckled. He just found the whole idea funny. Juugo had never showed any sign of liking him and he certainly didn't like Juugo.

"Does he like you then?" Naruto asked, making Sasuke actually laugh. "I'm serious, the guy is really protective. There has to be a reason," the blonde said.

"I really highly doubt it, but even if he did, why do you care?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't," Naruto said, starting to wonder why he did care. "I just was wondering," the blonde shrugged.

"Why do you always seem to be wondering about me?" Sasuke asked, finding it weird.

"You're my friend, I just wanted to know what was going on," Naruto said nervously. "I still think that he likes you," Naruto muttered.

"Well can you not wonder about my relationships, you're starting to sound like a jealous boyfriend, it's a little weird," Sasuke said, making the blonde blush a little. "I mean I could understand you being curious about Juugo if you liked me, but otherwise, it's kind of weird," he added.

"I'm not jealous," Naruto said defensively. "I was just curious," he added. He didn't want Sasuke to think he liked him as anything other than a friend.

"I never said you were jealous, I just said you were starting to sound like you were," Sasuke said. "There's no need for you to get all defensive," Sasuke sighed.

"So if he doesn't like you and he's not your boyfriend, then why is he so protective?" Naruto asked, still curious.

"You just don't know when to stop a conversation, do you?" Sasuke chuckled. "He's a good friend," the raven sighed, but knew that by the way Naruto was looking at him it wasn't a good enough explanation. "He just didn't have any friends before I met him, I brought him into the group, he feels as if he owes me for that," he explained.

"Oh," Naruto said, suddenly feeling very stupid for thinking it was anything other than a good friendship. "Okay," he said, satisfied with the raven's answer.

**TBC…?**

**This probably won't be the end of Itachi's part of the story, I'm pretty sure that they'll be more to their story…**


	27. Sakura

**Note: Second chapter posted tonight, isn't that fun? **

**I love reviews. For an example I just wrote chapter 34 which is now much longer than I planned because of a review and PM that I received from two different people which I remembered while I was writing and decided to write something similar to it in the chapter even though I didn't plan it to begin with...even though I like reviews, there are some pet peeves that I have from them… please don't complain about chapter length, I'm not going to change what I plan to write in a chapter because people say they want longer chapters, you have a better chance of getting a longer chapter if you tell me what you want to see rather than just saying it's short…also, please don't complain about the pace, that is another thing that won't change I believe you have to be friends first in order to have a good relationship**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review **

**Chapter 27: Sakura**

Naruto and Sasuke were studying and eating lunch in the middle of campus. Naruto was happy that Sasuke seemed to laugh off his questions about Juugo, rather than acting weird because of them. It was always hard to tell with Sasuke whether something was going to make him act differently or not.

"Hey guys," Sakura said as she walked up. She was staring at Sasuke, as she twirled her hair and smiled. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Studying," Naruto said as he rolled his eyes at her actions. In the beginning he felt sorry for her because Sasuke always rejected her, but over time Naruto started to wonder why she kept trying.

"Can I study with you?" she asked. "Maybe I could help," she said. She just wanted to spend time with Sasuke.

"No," Sasuke said. "I think that having you here would just distract him more than help him," the raven said, making an excuse because he didn't want her there.

"Well then maybe just you and me could just study some time," Sakura said to Sasuke. She hoped that he'd say yes, even if he never did in the past.

"Why, do you need help with something? I thought you've always had fairly good grades," he said in a bored tone. He didn't want to help her; he thought he made that obvious.

"Well, no, I don't need help, I just thought it'd be nice to study together. We could hang out," She smiled.

"Sakura, I don't want to hang out with you," he said bluntly, he felt that was the only way to deal with the pink haired girl. He thought after how many times he rejected her, she should just get it.

"But I love you," she said. "If you would just hang out with me, you'd see that you love me too," she pleaded. She just wanted to be with him, she didn't understand why he wouldn't give her a chance.

"Sakura, we hardly talk, how can you love me?" Sasuke asked. He just wanted to get it through to her that there is no possible way that she could love him.

"Sakura, he's not going to date you, he's gay," Naruto said. He didn't get why Sasuke didn't say that when he was rejecting her.

"No he's not," she said, refusing to believe that Sasuke could be gay. She was surprised that Sasuke himself wasn't denying it. "You know what, I don't want to hear this," she said, walking away from the boys. She wasn't going to let someone try to convince her that her dream guy is gay.

After she walked away, Naruto asked, "Why don't you tell her that you're gay?"

"You saw how she reacted, do you really think that she'd listen to me? The girl is in denial she thinks I'll fall in love with her," Sasuke said. "If I told her I was gay, she'd probably start thinking that I'd turn straight just for her."

Naruto laughed, "It wouldn't hurt though." After a few moments Naruto added, "Or you could show her."

"Show her? Who exactly do you want me to show her with? It'd be a little weird to kiss Suigetsu and the only other gay guy I know is you," Sasuke said. "Is that what you want, for me to kiss you?"

Naruto blushed, "I wasn't saying that I want you to kiss me. I was just saying if you show her maybe she would believe you." Naruto looked around, trying to find someone to call over so he could change the subject. "Suigetsu," he called, happy to see the light haired teen.

Suigetsu walked over, "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Naruto was just saying how he wants me to kiss him," Sasuke teased.

Suigetsu could tell by the way Sasuke said it that the raven was just teasing the blonde. He just laughed and asked, "Oh really?"

"No I wasn't," Naruto huffed. "I was just saying that he should show Sakura he's gay so that she'd believe him," he tried to explain.

"Calm down Naruto, he's messing with you," Suigetsu said, successfully calming the blonde and making him a little embarrassed at the same time.

**NS**

Sakura was upset; she couldn't believe that Naruto thought Sasuke was gay. She couldn't believe that Sasuke didn't deny what Naruto said. She had to get away from the conversation; she didn't want to hear what Naruto had to say any longer. As she walked away, she saw Ino and Sai talking. Sakura felt relieved seeing them, as she felt that they could cheer her up.

"Hey guys," Sakura said, obviously upset. There no smile to go along with her greeting and her tone of voice sounded almost as if someone had broken her.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Ino asked. She was concerned for her friend; never in the years they have known each other had she seen the pink haired girl so upset. It almost made her wonder if she had found out about the party incident.

Sakura was quiet for a moment, wondering if she should ask. She didn't want to ruin Sasuke's reputation by asking a question and starting a rumor. "Do you think Sasuke is gay?" Sakura finally asked.

Ino and Sai exchanged glances, the blonde had been worried this day was coming. "Why do you ask?" she questioned. She didn't want to bring up the party unless Sakura did.

Sakura frowned as she said, "Well Naruto said he was and he seems to know him better than I do. I'm just hoping that he's wrong, but Sasuke didn't deny it." She was practically hysterical at this point.

"Well he should know, he kissed him," Sai blurted out. He figured since Ino hadn't given an indication not to, then it was okay to say it. "I thought they liked each other, was I wrong again?" he then asked.

"Sasuke and Naruto? They kissed, when?" Sakura asked she couldn't believe she was so out of the loop, especially with something that happened to Sasuke.

"Nice going Sai," Ino muttered. She really didn't want to have to deal with telling her best friend that Sasuke was indeed gay.

"What? She knows he's gay," Sai shrugged, he didn't see anything wrong with what he said. "You should show her the pictures," he then added.

"Pictures? When was this? Why wasn't I there?" Sakura had so many questions and neither of them seemed to be answering them.

"The party you missed," Ino finally admitted. She knew that Sakura was going to be mad at her for not saying anything sooner.

"Why didn't you tell me? You just let me think that nothing of importance happened at that party," Sakura sounded and felt completely betrayed. She couldn't believe that her best friend would keep something of such importance from her.

"Because I knew this is how you'd react," Ino sighed. "I thought it would be best if you moved on from Sasuke before you found out that he was gay," she said, hoping that her reason was good enough for Sakura.

"But you knew I would never give up on Sasuke," Sakura argued. She couldn't take it anymore and she walked away.

"I'm going to go talk to her," Ino said to Sai. The blonde haired girl quickly ran after her best friend, hoping she'd forgive her. "Sakura," she called, trying to make the girl stop. Sakura didn't stop though until Ino finally caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

"What do you want?" Sakura asked. Her voice was harsh, but it was only to cover up how hurt she truly was. She hated being lied to and she never thought that Ino would be someone who'd lie to her.

"I'm sorry," Ino said. "I was just trying to make sure that this didn't happen. This is what I was trying to prevent, I didn't want you to get hurt like this," the blonde said.

Sakura was silent for a moment. She could tell that Ino was genuine in her apology and did have good intentions when she lied. "What am I going to do now?" Sakura asked. "My whole life I've only loved Sasuke, but now I can't have him. I'll never have him," she said. "Unless he turns straight for me," she said a little hopeful.

"Somehow I doubt that's going to happen," Ino said calmly. She didn't want to make her friend more upset, but it was the truth. She knew if Sasuke was going to be with Sakura, he would have said yes when she first starting fawning over him a long time ago.

"Where do I go from here? I mean none of the guys that we know are as attractive and smart as Sasuke," she said. "I mean I could go for Sai, at least he kind of looks like Sasuke," she considered.

"I think your problem is that you're solely basing whom you like off of looks," Ino pointed out. "You don't have to find an alternative crush now, you can wait until you find the right guy," she added. For some reason she didn't want Sakura to start going after Sai, she wasn't sure why, but a part of her just wanted to steer the pink haired girl elsewhere.

"But Sai would be perfect," Sakura said. "I could almost pretend that he's Sasuke," she smiled, happy with her plan.

"Sakura, he calls you ugly," Ino said. "What makes you think he'll date you?" she didn't want her friend to be chasing a lost cause again.

"Why don't you want me to like Sai?" Sakura asked angrily. She didn't understand what the problem was.

"It just seems like you're moving on from your dream guy really fast," Ino said. She knew Sakura didn't love Sasuke like she always said, just by the mere fact that she was looking for a new and straight crush.

"I'm not moving on, I'm just looking at other options," Sakura said harshly.

Ino sighed; she decided not to argue with Sakura any further. She knew she was never going to get it through the girl's head that picking a person to crush on should not only be based on looks.

**NS**

Meanwhile, Kyuubi sat in his new office going over all of the work his boss handed to him. Since he'd gotten the job and then the promotion, he'd been a surprisingly good worker. His boss always commended him for his creative thinking. Instead of being his troublemaker self, he found himself putting it to good use in the office.

He was startled by a knock on the door, followed by his boss entering. "What can I do for you?" he asked, seeing the stack of papers in the man's hands.

"This is the latest project you'll be working on, the others can wait," he said as he set the stack of papers in front of him. "It's an important project, so I expect your best work. If you screw this up, you will get fired," he said sternly.

Kyuubi's eyes widened, wondering what could be that important, "Yes sir." The man walked out of his office and he looked down at the papers in front of him. He scanned them to see that it was a project that would force the company to work with the Uchiha Corporation. He knew it wasn't the project it's self that was important, but making a good impression with the large corporation so that they could do more business together.

He sighed as he looked at his phone. He had called Itachi the other day but the dark haired man never called him back. The redhead also tried to text him, but again got no response, making him highly annoyed. Kyuubi hoped he didn't see him while working with the other corporation, he felt it might be awkward considering that the other man seemed to be ignoring him. He didn't like to be ignored so he didn't know if he could keep his cool if he saw Itachi, he just hoped it didn't come to that. He hoped when he met with the people from Uchiha Corporation in a month either he and Itachi will be back to speaking or that he wouldn't see Itachi at all.

**TBC...?**


	28. Therapy

**I finished my outline, this story will be 56 chapters, and unless I add some or remove some chapters that I have planned therefore this story is about half way done**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 28: Therapy **

Sasuke was walking out of his last class for the day when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and saw it light up with Kakashi's name. He sighed because he knew what the phone call was about. He hadn't made an appointment with his therapist, again, and Kakashi was calling to yell at him.

"What do you want Kakashi?"he said as he answered the phone. The man was like a father to him ever since his died, but he didn't want to be lectured and he had a feeling that it was coming.

"_I want you to meet me in the parking lot. I'm parked at a meter so I'd appreciate it if you'd come now,"_ Kakashi said.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes, "I shouldn't make you wait like you do to everyone else?" The man was notorious for being late so he had no right to tell someone to hurry up.

"_Yeah, I get it, I'm always late. Just get out here," _Kakashi said. Sasuke was certainly the more difficult of the two brothers to deal with. Itachi could be difficult if he didn't get his way, but Sasuke was just stubborn all the time.

"Which meters are you at?" he asked, giving in. He knew Kakashi would just keep calling if he didn't go meet the man. Sasuke knew the man had plenty of porn to keep him busy so he didn't mind waiting until the raven finally caved in.

"_The ones closest to the dorms," _he said. He could see the dorms from where he was standing and he knew that Sasuke would know exactly which meters he was talking about.

"Fine, I'll be right there," sighed Sasuke. He hung up and started to walk toward the parking lot.

"I was starting to think you weren't going to come," Kakashi said when Sasuke walked over to his car. The older man had his porn book out and was reading it, yet somehow he managed to know that Sasuke was walking up to him.

"Can you put your porn away? I'm going to leave if you don't," Sasuke said. It always annoyed him when Kakashi tried to read and talk to him at the same time.

Kakashi sighed as he put the book in his car. "Fine, you have my undivided attention, happy?" Kakashi smiled as he leaned on his car.

"Ecstatic," Sasuke said sarcastically. "Why'd you want to see me?" he then asked, though he already knew the question.

"I can't just come say hi?" Kakashi smiled. "You're like a son to me you know, it wouldn't be so out of the question for me to just come say hi," he said.

Sasuke just looked at him, not believing a word he was saying, "Right." He rolled his eyes, knowing at some point in their conversation Kakashi would manage to bring up therapy.

"So, how have you been?" Kakashi asked. "Anything interesting happen?"

"Fine," Sasuke shrugged. He decided not to mention the party incident; though it was something interesting Kakashi would just have way too much fun with it. "I've just been studying," he added. "Normal college stuff."

"So in other words parties too," the man smiled. "Meet anyone yet?" he asked, making Sasuke have a feeling that he'd been talking to Itachi, which was only confirmed by his next statement. "I hear you have an interesting roommate," Kakashi said.

"You've been talking to Itachi, haven't you?" Sasuke sighed. He should have known, as they seemed to always tell each other the things that were going on in Sasuke's life.

"Yes, but that shouldn't be a surprise, we do work together after all," Kakashi said. "Which is why I'm concerned that you're not going to therapy," he then added. "I know that you skipped out and I wouldn't be so worried if I hadn't have heard that Orochimaru was a guest speaker in your class."

Sasuke sighed, "I'm handling it." He hated therapy; she always tried to make him talk about what he didn't want to talk about. He wasn't an open enough person for therapy in his opinion.

"Sasuke, if you were dealing with it then you wouldn't have called Itachi," Kakashi pointed out. "I only ask you go once a month, even if I think you should go more, can't you just do that for me?"

Sasuke frowned, "Fine, I'll try to make an appointment for sometime this week." He knew there was no arguing with Kakashi.

"Great, that's what I wanted to hear," Kakashi smiled. "But I'll be back if I find out you don't. You know Tsunade will tell on you."

"Yeah, yeah, stop worrying about my life and worry about your own," said Sasuke, as he was getting ready to walk away.

"I don't need to worry about mine, I'm very happy," Kakashi smiled.

"Kakashi, you're a single old man who reads porn and runs a company, how are you happy?" Sasuke asked, not believing that he was really happy.

"One, I'm not old," the man said. "Two, I'm not single," he smiled. "Iruka and I are very happy together right now, and let me tell you the sex," he was suddenly cut off by Sasuke.

"Kakashi, I really, really, don't want to know about your sex life," Sasuke said, making the man just chuckle. "Now I'm leaving before you can tell me anything that I really don't want to hear," the raven said.

"Aw, don't be jealous just because you don't have a sex life," Kakashi teased as the raven walked away, giving him the middle finger. Kakashi couldn't help but smile, knowing that was probably the most normal he'd seen Sasuke since his parents died. He was happy to see the teen actually responding to him, rather than just being as distant as possible. _'Maybe college has been good for him,'_ Kakashi thought.

**NS**

Tsunade had planned to take the day off, but it wasn't every day that Sasuke Uchiha called an asked to make an appointment. The kid was incredibly difficult and definitely troubled. In her opinion he was the kind of person that needed therapy, but just didn't want to go. Therefore, instead of taking her day off, she was sitting in her office, across from the raven-haired boy, trying to get him to talk.

"So, tell me about school," she said. Tsunade always knew with him to start with what was easy and work her way up to the questions he didn't want to answer.

"It's been pretty good," he said, looking down at his hands.

She knew he was lying to her, she just didn't know what about. "What do you mean by pretty good? Did something happen at school to not make it just good?" she asked.

"It's school," Sasuke shrugged. "It's not supposed to be fun," he added.

"It sounds to me like there is something more," she said. She looked at him and she could sense that something just wasn't right.

He was silent for a moment, considering whether or not he should tell her. Sasuke figured that she'd get it out of him sooner or later, so he said, "Orochimaru is a guest speaker in one of my classes."

"I see, and how are you dealing with that?" she asked. She wished that she could help him, but if he didn't want to press charges against Orochimaru, there was nothing she could do. Because it was her duty, she told the police when he first told her about the abuse, but they told her if Sasuke himself doesn't want to press charges, they couldn't help him.

Before the dark haired teen got a chance to answer the question, his blonde haired roommate burst through the door. "Granny Tsunade, guess who's here to see you," he said cheerfully. The woman was like a grandmother figure to him, she helped raise him since he and his brother had no parents around to do so. She was one of few who put up with his and Kyuubi's antics.

"Naruto, what have I told you about bursting into my office?" she yelled at him. "I'm having a session, you should know to knock before coming in my office," she continued.

Naruto just looked at Sasuke, part of him was not surprised to see him in therapy. He didn't know why he was there, but it was obvious that the guy was hiding something. If he was seeing Tsunade it must be something big.

Sasuke quickly got up saying, "I'm going to go." Before Tsunade could even try to stop him, he was out the door.

"Naruto, do you know what you just did?" she asked. The woman was obviously frustrated as she then asked, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get him to make an appointment?"

"I'm sorry, you said you had the day off," Naruto said. "Why didn't you just schedule him for a different day? Why does he come to see you even?" Naruto had so many questions.

"All I'm going to say is that there are some patients that you make exceptions for, he wanted an appointment this week I wasn't going to say no," she said, trying to calm herself down. "But you know I can't tell you why he comes to me, that's doctor-patient confidentiality."

Naruto nodded, he understood, but that didn't mean that he liked it. He knew that if he wanted answers, he'd have to ask Sasuke.

**NS**

Naruto walked into his dorm to find Sasuke on his bed, writing in his journal. He seemed to do that more often when he was frustrated. "Hey, can we talk?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke didn't look at him; he doesn't like the fact that Naruto knows that he goes to therapy, "What about?" He closed his journal putting it back where it was as he turned toward the blonde.

"Why are you going to therapy?" Naruto asked. He was hoping that Sasuke would tell him the truth, but he wasn't counting on it.

Sasuke looked at Naruto, he could tell he was genuinely concerned. The raven wasn't ready to tell him what had happened to him, it was hard enough to tell someone who was a friend for years, let alone someone he just started considering a friend. He knew he had to make something up, "I go because she helps me deal with the death of my parents." It wasn't a complete lie that was why he started going in the first place.

Naruto just nodded, not believing him. He knew that his parents' death may be part of the reason he went, but he knew it probably wasn't the whole reason. His parents' death didn't give any reason for him to be scared of Orochimaru, so Naruto knew there had to be more to the story. Naruto just sighed, accepting the excuse mainly because he was starting to learn that there were times with Sasuke that he shouldn't push him any further for an answer. He ended the conversation by saying, "Oh, okay."

**TBC…?**


	29. Surprise

**I meant to get this chapter out sooner but I was pretty busy today…**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 29: Surprise **

Once again Naruto felt like he was being avoided and he hated being avoided. He had feeling that he knew why he was being avoided and it made him wish that he had never asked about the therapy. He didn't know why he did; it just came out of his mouth and looking back on it he knew it was a stupid thing to ask about. He knew the saying that curiosity killed the cat, but that didn't mean that he always listened to it. "You're avoiding me," Naruto said as he looked at the raven.

"No I'm not," Sasuke said. He hadn't even realized that he was doing it. He just hated that the blonde found out he went to therapy. He thought it was going to make things weird between them.

"Yeah you have been," Naruto sighed. He hated that Sasuke denied when he was doing something, how he always had to be difficult.

"Well I didn't realize that I was doing it," Sasuke shrugged. It was the truth after all.

He was starting to wonder if Sasuke was mad at him and he knew that there could only be one reason for him to be. Naruto sighed, "Look, I'm sorry that I interrupted your therapy session or that I even asked about it, but will you please stop avoiding me?"

"Sure, whatever," Sasuke said. He was slightly annoyed with the blonde still, mostly because he just didn't know when to mind his own business, however, he wasn't really mad. He found it hard to stay mad at Naruto; he knew the blonde had the best intentions, even if it didn't always come off that way plus, it wasn't as if he found out anything. He figured that the blonde would be satisfied with his answer and leave him alone, but he had no such luck.

"Great, then you'll come with us this weekend," Naruto grinned. He had planned to make Sasuke tag along anyway, but he was he was hoping that he could use the conversation to make things less tense and awkward between them.

"Go where and with who?" asked Sasuke. He never trusted the blonde when he wasn't specific about things. He knew that there would be some sort of surprise waiting and it may not be pleasant.

"That's a surprise," Naruto said happily. He knew if he told Sasuke where they were going, he'd never come. "But pretty much everyone is going, except Temari because she has to work. And you can't lie to me and say that you have to work, because I know that you don't," Naruto smiled.

Sasuke silently cursed the fact that he and Naruto worked together. "Fine, but this better not be anything I'll hate," Sasuke said, already regretting his decision to agree.

"Don't worry you'll love it, just pack warm," Naruto said with a smile as he walked out of the room.

"Pack warm? Where the hell are we going Naruto?" Sasuke yelled after the blonde, angry that he already left before he could answer. The raven had a feeling that he was going to hate the surprise, not even realizing that yet again the blonde had somehow made him forget how annoyed he was with him in the first place.

**NS**

Sasuke was not pleased, it was the end of fall and they were out in the middle of the woods. It was cold but luckily not cold enough to be snowing, which kind of surprised Sasuke for the time of year. He couldn't believe that he had been dragged out to the woods to be cold and miserable for an entire weekend. "Why are we out in the middle of the woods?" Sasuke asked, hoping they made a wrong turn, but he knew he wasn't that lucky.

"Cheer up Sasuke," Naruto grinned as he patted the dark haired teen on the back. "This is going to be fun."

"Your definition of fun is obviously not my definition of fun," Sasuke said. He didn't look pleased at all.

"Come on, haven't you ever been camping?" Naruto asked. He knew the answer was probably no, Sasuke didn't seem like the camping type.

"Do you really think that I like to sleep on the ground?" Sasuke said, answering Naruto's question.

"No, I suppose not," laughed Naruto. He didn't know what else to expect from Sasuke. "Just look at it this way, it'll be a whole new experience." Sasuke didn't respond, he just complained to himself as he walked away from the blonde. Naruto laughed as he watched the raven walk away.

"Okay, to be fair, I say that we split the tents up by roommates," Sakura said. Considering her roommate was her friend, it didn't bother her that they'd share a tent.

"No," Sasuke said, glaring at the blonde.

"Love you too Sasuke," Naruto laughed jokingly. "Don't worry about him, he'll share a tent with me, he's just a little moody right now," he said, making Sasuke glare at the back of his head, wishing he could make it burst into flames.

"I hate you," Sasuke said as the blonde walked over to him with a tent in hand.

"Yeah, yeah, just come help me set this up," Naruto said as he rolled his eyes.

"Hey Suigetsu, since both our roommates didn't come, want to share a tent?" Kiba asked the light haired teen. He figured they were good enough friends that it would work well.

"Sure," Suigetsu smiled, hoping it wouldn't be torture sharing a small tent with the straight guy that he had a crush on.

"You're not seriously going to make me share a tent with him," Neji said, referring to Lee.

"We can switch," Sasuke said. "I'll share a tent with Neji and Lee can share with Naruto," he said hopeful to get away from the blonde.

"No we can't," Naruto said quickly. He looked at Sasuke and he said, "You are not making me share a tent with Lee."

Neji sighed, accepting his fate. He looked at Gaara, part of him wishing he could share a tent with him, but he had seen that he already found Sai to share a tent with. He had wished that Gaara had spoken out, saying he would share a tent with him, but he could tell that he had ruined any chances of that happening. "Fine, I'll just share one with Lee," he sighed.

By the time they got settled in, the tents were sorted out with two people in each tent. Most of them shared a tent with their roommate, so it ended up that Naruto and Sasuke shared a tent, as did Neji and Lee, Choji and Shikamaru, Ino and Sakura, Tenten and Hinata, Suigetsu and Kiba, and Sai and Gaara.

**NS**

That night, after they had collected firewood, the group all sat around the fire. Kiba was telling a ghost story that they had all grown up hearing. It was an urban legend really, and it was always fun to tell. "Everyone knows that's not true," Sakura said at the end of the story.

"Yeah, well thanks for ruining the story," Kiba said as he rolled his eyes. Sometimes he was really annoyed by the pink haired girl. While she could be cool, she could also be annoying.

"What? That's kid stuff," Sakura shrugged.

"Fine then lets break out the booze," Kiba said looking at Neji. He had been supplying them with booze since the start of college and that night was no exception. "What would you like to do Sakura, since you don't want to do kid stuff," Kiba said as Neji grabbed the alcohol.

"Lets play never have I ever," she suggested. "Someone says something they've never done and if you have, you take a drink of alcohol. It should be a shot, but we have no shot glasses," she sighed.

"Yeah, we all know how to play never have I ever," Naruto said as he helped Neji pour everyone a drink. In part they were really stupid sitting in the woods drinking, however, none of them cared.

"I'll start," Kiba said, smiling, knowing that he could get both Naruto and Sasuke to drink on one question. "Never have I ever kissed a guy," he said.

Naruto rolled his eyes and took a drink, as did Suigetsu, Sasuke, Gaara and all the girls. Gaara looked a Neji, knowing that the fact that he wasn't drinking was a lie and he just didn't want to admit it.

"Wait, Suigetsu, you're gay?" Kiba asked, genuinely surprised. Suigetsu didn't seem gay and so it took him by surprise.

"What just because he's kissed a guy he has to be gay?" Neji asked. He could think of other reasons, like a dare, that guy would kiss another guy.

"It's fine," he said as he looked at Neji. "I'm bi actually," Suigetsu shrugged as he turned his attention back to Kiba.

"Oh," Kiba said. He then realized why Suigetsu seemed straight; it was because he was half straight in a way.

"He says he's bi, but I've never seen him date a girl," Sasuke chuckled.

"Shut up," Suigetsu said, knowing it was true. He did favor men over women, that didn't mean Sasuke had to point it out. "How strong did you make his drink, he should not be that happy right now," Suigetsu said, looking at Naruto.

"You know it wouldn't affect him that quickly," Naruto rolled his eyes. "What'd you say to me that one time? Oh right, he's just messing with you," the blonde said with a laugh.

"Okay, my turn," Ino said cheerfully. "Never have I ever been a guy," she said, trying to get all the guys to drink.

"That's not fair," Kiba muttered as all the guys took a drink.

"Oh, I've got one," Suigetsu said. "Never have I ever painted my nails," looking at Sasuke with a smile as he remembered his stage in life when he had black fingernails. He knew he was probably just imitating his brother in a way, as he had gone through the same stage during high school.

"I hate you," Sasuke said as he took a drink, as did most of the girls.

"It's not my fault you're such a girl," Suigetsu laughed.

"Never have I ever missed a day of class," Sasuke said, causing everyone else in the circle to drink. "About time I don't have to drink," he mumbled.

This went on for a while, until Sasuke realized he was reaching his limit in alcohol. "I'm going to go to sleep now before I do something stupid," Sasuke said as he got up.

Naruto on the other hand was already a little past his limit when Sasuke left, so a little while later he said, "I'm going to go try to sleep this off."

"You sure you just don't want to get to Sasuke?" Kiba teased.

"You're never going to let me live it down are you?" Naruto said as he walked, trying not to stumble, into the tent. When he got in there, Sasuke was already asleep and Naruto couldn't help but think that the raven-haired teen was truly beautiful. The blonde changed into pajamas as quickly and quietly as he could, trying not to wake Sasuke. Luckily for him it seemed that Sasuke was already in deep sleep, so he turned off the lantern by their heads that the raven had left on, and went to sleep.

**NS**

Kiba stayed up and kept drinking with a few others. He knew that he'd had too much to drink and that he should probably go to bed, but he didn't. Instead, he went and talked to Hinata. "Hey Hinata," he said, obviously drunk.

"Hi Kiba," she said. He was one person she usually wasn't nervous around. She saw him as her best guy friend.

"You know, I've had something that I've wanted to tell you for a really long time," he said. His words were kind of slurred and he made sure emphasize the word really by dragging it out. The brunette had a drunken smile on his face as he talked; it made Hinata think that she shouldn't take anything he said seriously.

"Really, what did you want to tell me?" she asked. She was one of the few that stayed relatively sober. It was easy for her because there wasn't much that she had done and when she felt that she had drank too much, which was not a lot, she stopped playing and drinking all together.

"I'm in love with you," he said. He was a bit of a talker when he was drunk and obviously very honest. His drunk self thought it was a good thing because he knew he'd never be able to tell her sober.

"Kiba, you're drunk," she said blushing. Hinata had never looked at Kiba as someone she'd think about dating. He was just a friend to her so she really hoped it was just the alcohol talking.

"I know I'm drunk, but it's true," he said, trying to make her believe him. He knew that the fact that he was drunk and slurring a little bit probably didn't help.

"I'm going to go, you're drunk right now," she said as she got up. "I don't want you confessing things that aren't true."

Even while drunk he could tell that she meant she hoped it wasn't true. "But it is the truth," he tried one last time. She didn't give a response; instead, she just walked away, leaving him feeling rejected.

Kiba went to his tent, deciding it would be a good time to sleep. He went in to find Suigetsu already in there. The brunette just laid down, not even bothering to change.

"Are you okay?" Suigetsu asked as he looked at his friend. He could tell that Kiba was drunk just by the fact that he smelled a lot like alcohol.

"No, I just got rejected," he said. He sounded completely defeated.

Suigetsu wanted to comfort him with a hug, but he knew that would be too weird. "I'm sorry, do you want to talk about?" he asked, trying to find some way to make his friend, and crush, feel better.

"No, I just want to sleep," Kiba said as he turned on his side.

Suigetsu frowned at the response. He knew that there was nothing he could really do. He sighed at the fact that Kiba was still dressed in his day clothes, but thought it best not to point it out and instead just let him sleep.

**TBC…?**


	30. Camping

**Really if you're going to send me a lengthy review about how my story is repetitive at least sign in …The fact is that if you don't like my repetitiveness then don't read…no one is forcing you to…I don't need a lengthy review of oh I was expecting something like this and you need to stop being repetitive….I'm not going to make Sasuke's secret come out anytime soon, it'll come out when I feel the character is ready for it to…Personally I feel after these chapters the repetitiveness pretty much stops…it definitely stops after chapter 41…there are maybe two chapters that I feel that people may review as repetitive however I don't find one of them to be repetitive at all and the other one hasn't been written yet so I'm not sure but I don't think it really should be repetitive either, but you never know how people are going to perceive things**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 30: Camping**

Kiba could still remember what had happened the previous night, but he had decided that he wouldn't let it get him down. Instead of dwelling on it, he decided to do something that he knew would cheer him up. He decided to wake up Naruto and Sasuke. He walked over to their tent, unzipping it as loudly as he could. He just laughed when he saw the way the two were laying; it didn't surprise him in the least.

It looked as if Sasuke had rolled over to Naruto in the middle of the night because he was lying on his arm, with his head in the crook of Naruto's neck. Naruto had an arm draped over Sasuke and their legs were once again tangled together. It was obvious that neither of them zipped their sleeping bags, if they had, they wouldn't be in this position. "Well don't you two look comfortable," Kiba said with a grin as he kicked his best friend awake.

Naruto just grunted, he was warm and comfortable, which was odd because he was in the middle of the woods. He moved closer to the source of the heat and couldn't help but think that the feeling was oddly familiar. That was when he felt the breath on his neck, which made his eyes snap open. "Oh what the hell," he said as he moved away from Sasuke, waking the other boy up in the process.

"Why are you so loud so early?" Sasuke asked, before realizing how close they were. Once he did realize, he moved away from the blonde with a light blush, "Oh."

"Now I see why you guys went to bed so early, you just wanted to cuddle," Kiba smirked. He would never pass up the opportunity to tease his best friend and Sasuke.

"Shut up, we didn't fall asleep like this," Naruto said. "I mean we can't control what happens in our sleep, I'm sure it could have been anyone next to either one of us and the same thing would have happened," he added. The blonde was sure that had it been anyone else, he still would have woken up that close to the person, or at least he hoped.

"Yeah, whatever you say," Kiba laughed. "Just come on love birds or Choji is going to eat your portion of breakfast," he said walking away.

Naruto quickly changed, not caring that Sasuke was still in the tent and the fact that there wasn't much room in the tent to do so. Without a word he left the tent and went to go eat, trying to think of something to say to Sasuke to make things less awkward between them.

Sasuke waited for him to leave before he changed. He sighed, wondering why everything had to end up being awkward between them. It was true that they couldn't really control what their bodies did while they sleep; it was just kind of awkward because it kind of felt nice waking up next to Naruto. He quickly scolded himself for even thinking that, he was starting to wonder if the effects of alcohol hadn't worn off but he knew that it wasn't possible for it not to have.

Sasuke sighed as he walked out to join the group. "How long do you really plan for us to stay out here," he asked grumpily as he grabbed a bagel from the bag and some cream cheese out of the cooler.

"Cheer up Sasuke, we're leaving tonight," Naruto laughed. "And you have to admit it was fun," he looked at the raven, trying to make sure things between them weren't awkward.

"Hn," Sasuke said with a shrug. "I don't have to admit anything," Sasuke said with the smallest hint of a smile, if you didn't look for it, you wouldn't have known it was there.

The blonde just smiled, knowing that Sasuke had at least a little bit of fun. He was also happy that Sasuke didn't seem make things between them awkward either. "You're right you don't have to admit it, I can just tell," Naruto said confidently, making Sasuke roll his eyes.

**NS**

Kiba wasn't trying to show it, but he was avoiding Hinata. Everyone could tell, it was as clear as day. The problem was, Hinata didn't understand why he was avoiding her. She knew that she didn't exactly return his feelings, but he told her when he was drunk, she wasn't going to believe a word he said when he was drunk.

"I don't understand why he's avoiding me," Hinata said to Sakura as she looked down at her hands. "He's never done this before," she frowned.

"Did something happen between the two of you last night?" Sakura asked. She knew something must have because the brunette was far to in love with Hinata to avoid her.

"Well, he told me that he loved me," she said nervously. "But you can never trust what someone says when their drunk," she quickly added, as she chose not to believe that one of her best friends were in love with her.

"Oh god, what did you say to him?" Sakura asked, she knew it couldn't be good if Kiba was avoiding her. "Did you reject him?" she then added.

"I didn't believe him, I guess he could take that as rejection," she shrugged. She didn't understand why it was such a big deal Kiba was drunk after all. He probably would have hit on any girl when he was drunk.

"Hinata, Kiba's been in love with you forever," Sakura told her. She felt that it was okay to tell her now that she already knew, Kiba had finally told her, even if he was drunk.

Hinata's eyes widened, obviously not believing it. "No, I mean, he's my best friend," the girl stuttered.

"You don't feel the same?" the pink haired girl asked. She felt sorry for Kiba, they may not be the best of friends, but they were friends and she knew how bad it hurt to love someone who didn't love you back. "Is it because of Naruto?" she dared to ask.

Hinata was silent for a moment, before she stuttered, "I guess." She once again was nervous as she said, "I know he's gay, but I can't just turn those feelings off."

"Trust me, I understand," Sakura sighed as she looked at Naruto and Sasuke. The two were talking and seemed to get along, she knew she should be happy for them if they liked each other, but it was really hard to. "I mean I guess we're in the same boat."

Hinata nodded as she sadly said, "Yeah, but your best friend doesn't love you." She didn't want to hurt Kiba, but she couldn't change her feelings for him.

**NS**

Kiba walked over to Naruto and Sasuke. He was surprised with how well they seemed to be getting along, considering the position he found them in earlier. He just sighed wondering how their friendship managed to do better than his and Hinata's. "Hey guys," he said with a sigh.

"What's wrong with you?" Naruto asked. He could tell something was wrong just by Kiba's demeanor. The brunette seemed down right defeated, even though he tried to not let it affect him, he couldn't help it the more he saw Hinata.

"I got rejected," Kiba frowned. He knew that Naruto would know exactly what that meant. He knew that Naruto would know that he told Hinata last night, there was no need to explain even.

"Oh, what happened?" the blonde asked. He hoped it was all one big misunderstanding, however he knew that Hinata was relatively sober last night and so it probably wasn't.

"She thought I was drunk, she took it all as a joke," Kiba frowned. "She didn't even show any sign of being interested. But I wasn't drunk, I was just tipsy," Kiba explained.

"You were drunk," Naruto corrected him. "You were drunk when I went to bed. But even if you weren't, she didn't really reject you, she just thought you were drunk," Naruto said.

"She used it as an excuse," Kiba said. He looked down, hating that he had been foolish enough to tell her.

"Try telling her again, see what she says," Naruto said, trying to get some more optimism in his friend. He knew that it wasn't going to work, but he hoped that it would.

**NS**

Naruto had a plan, he was going to cheer up his best friend and he was going to drag Sasuke and Suigetsu along to do it. "Come on guys, I'm forcing you to do something with me," he said to Kiba, Sasuke and Suigetsu, who had joined their conversation a few moments before the blonde decided to enact his crazy idea.

"Oh, I don't like the sound of that," Sasuke said. He knew that the blond had crazy ideas most of the time, therefore it would probably only lead to trouble.

"Well you don't have a choice," Naruto smiled as he pulled him along. The blonde loved fall because all of the leaves were on the ground. He knew it would make for the perfect thing to cheer up Kiba, jumping in a pile of leaves. It may be childish, but that was just the kind of thing that he needed. He led them away from the group to a spot he knew would be perfect.

The other boys watched at the blonde made a large pile of leaves. Sasuke knew what the blonde was doing, "You're not serious." He just shook his head, knowing he was not going to jump in a big pile of leaves.

"Yes I am," the blonde grinned. "And you're going to do it and have fun," he added.

Kiba just laughed, "Why not." He decided to go along with the blonde's plan; he figured he'd try anything to cheer up.

"Come on Sasuke you know you want to," Naruto said with a grin.

"You're such a child," Sasuke shook his head with a small smile. He hated how Naruto was making him smile, it didn't seem right.

"Well you're such an adult, we need to change that," Naruto said.

Sasuke was silent a few moments before he sighed and finally gave in, "Fine." He didn't really understand why it was so hard to say no to the blonde, there was just something about him.

"Good," Naruto grinned. The smile fell though when he saw Hinata walking toward them, he was happy when he saw that Kiba didn't notice. "I'll be right back." Naruto walked over to the dark haired girl, "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk to him," she said. She wanted to try to make up with him.

"I think it's better if you don't," Naruto said. "At least not right now. I'm trying to make him feel better and you'd just ruin that," he added. He normally wasn't so harsh, but when it came to his friends, especially his best friends, he was protective. He didn't want to see anyone close to him get hurt. He felt sorry saying the words to Hinata, but she hurt Kiba and so he thought it best for Kiba not to talk to her while the wounds were still fresh. He wanted the two of them to talk; he just didn't think that moment was the right time.

She frowned and nodded. "I understand," she stuttered. She felt so bad for what she did to Kiba; she just wanted to talk to him. Hinata understood though why Naruto didn't want her to, so she took his advice and walked away.

**NS**

Sakura watched the boys in the leaves; she was truly surprised that Sasuke was actually participating. She had seen that it was Naruto who convinced him and it was finally starting to sink in that he was indeed gay. The other night she had wanted to believe that it might have just been a stage where was experimenting that he kissed a boy. She couldn't ignore what was right in front of her face though. She was staring to believe that the rumors were true, that the two did like each other; meaning that there was no way Sasuke could like her. Sakura let out a sigh before walking away, she didn't want to move on, but she was starting to think she would have to.

**TBC…**


	31. Hinata

**Sorry that I didn't post yesterday, I was watching football….I haven't been able to write much lately, so the next chapter will wait until I have a couple chapters written….If I do that today, then I'll post a second one today to make up for the fact that I didn't post yesterday…But as I said in a earlier author's note, my posting will probably slow down starting the 18****th**** because of school…hopefully I can get a lot of chapters done this weekend so that I don't have to slow down my posting, but I'm not sure what my homework will be like once I start a new semester… **

**I figure a truck can be called a car or a truck, so I'm making Naruto have a truck since I never really described his car…**

**This is a short chapter…**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review…**

**Chapter 31: Hinata**

That night, they were all getting ready to go home. Sasuke and Naruto were packing their things into Naruto's truck. Much to Sasuke's disappointment, they were among the last to leave. He was even more disappointed when he saw who else was left. It wasn't that he disliked any of the people; it was the fact of what happened during the trip. He wanted to kill the people who left before them, leaving Kiba and Hinata to be in the same car.

Once everyone packed every thing into the truck, an awkward silence started. Sasuke broke the silence by saying, "Shot gun." He knew that he didn't want to be in the back with Kiba and Hinata and if Kiba were in the front Hinata would just be trying to talk to him from the back. If he were in the back, it would just be harder to ignore their drama.

Kiba glared at him, hoping to make his head burst into flames. Everyone knew that Kiba didn't want to sit next to Hinata he wanted the front seat. "What the hell," Kiba growled at him.

"I'm not sitting in the back, it's going to be awkward back there," Sasuke said as he climbed into the passenger side seat.

"Naruto, do something about this," Kiba whined as he pointed to Sasuke. He was angry and if it weren't for the fact that everyone else had left, he would have refused to get in the truck. He wondered how he didn't realized when everyone was leaving that he and Hinata would be left in the same car.

Naruto just shrugged as he said, "You should have called shot gun." Part of him was relieved that Sasuke did call the front; he didn't want to be next to Kiba pouting the entire way home. At least with Sasuke in the front seat he could try to make conversation with him to try to drown out whatever was going out in the back.

"So how did this happen?" Sasuke whispered to Naruto after they both were in the car and were waiting for the others, who were arguing over the seating arrangement.

"Sakura left her," Naruto sighed. "Unfortunately," he then added, to which Sasuke just nodded. Naruto was going to kill Sakura if the car ride went how he thought it was going to go.

Suigetsu, much to his dismay, ended up in the middle. He wondered what he did to deserve such a fate. He was between his crush and the girl his crush liked, who didn't like him back. _'Please just someone shoot me,'_ Suigetsu thought, knowing it was going to feel like the longest car ride ever.

**NS**

"I can't believe that we just did that," Ino said laughing. She almost felt bad, but she knew that Kiba and Hinata needed to sort out things between them.

"I know, I feel bad though," Sakura said. She was driving away from the campsite and she was supposed to be giving Hinata a ride, but they had left without telling her. They rode up together, so they were supposed to leave together, but it seemed that everyone was switching cars since she ended up having to give Lee a ride. On the ride up he rode with Shikamaru and she had all the girls and Sai in her car.

"It's not as if Naruto doesn't have room in his truck," Sai pointed out. It was true, that she wouldn't be left there, so wasn't a reason to feel that bad.

"It's true and if she were in the car you know she'd only be talking about what happened with Kiba," Ino pointed out. She really didn't want to hear about her and Kiba's problems. She felt they either needed to date or decide to be just friends.

"Yeah, but I guess I feel a little bad for Naruto, Suigetsu and Sasuke," Sakura said with a sigh. "They really don't deserve to be in that car."

"But it's okay, now we get to be in the same car," Lee said enthusiastically to Sakura.

The pink haired girl just shook her head, wishing that anyone else could have been in the car. She couldn't believe Shikamaru and Choji let Tenten come with them, leaving her with Lee. She could have taken Hinata instead, but really she knew that Hinata and Kiba needed to talk.

**NS**

Choji and Shikamaru didn't expect to be in a similar situation to that of Naruto, Suigetsu and Sasuke. They didn't expect Neji, Gaara, and Tenten to make the car ride awkward. The entire car ride, Gaara was glaring at Tenten, who was trying to talk to Neji. Neji was participating in the conversation, but he certainly didn't seem very interested in what was going on. He just nodded and responded, he made no effort to start the conversation.

Shikamaru sighed, "How troublesome." He couldn't believe he was in this situation. He was thinking that he should have just made Lee come with them, not Tenten, at least then it would be less awkward. He was smart enough to see that there was no way to make the car ride any less awkward. He'd just have to put up with it and hope that the car ride went by faster than he expected it to.

**NS**

It was a silent car ride, silent and awkward. "So, I don't think I've ever really talked to you Hinata," Suigetsu said, trying to break the silence.

"No, I suppose we haven't," she said as she looked down at her lap. The car went silent again before Hinata asked, "Kiba would you please talk to me?"

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other, happy they were in the front. It was sure to get awkward back there. "Maybe you should intervene on this," Sasuke said as quietly as he could, but Naruto just shook his head. He wouldn't get in the middle of it unless he had to.

"I don't want to talk," Kiba said as he tried to turn away from her. It was somewhat difficult to turn with his seatbelt on, but that didn't stop him from trying.

Suigetsu felt awkward sitting in-between them so he tried to change the subject, "Let's talk…" Hinata cut off the light haired teen, not giving him a chance to even suggest a topic for discussion. She normally wouldn't cut someone off, but at that point she didn't want the subject to change.

"Please just talk to me," Hinata pleaded. She just wanted to try to talk it out, but it didn't seem like he was willing to.

"Why should I want to talk to you? So you can try to make rejecting me all better?" Kiba asked harshly. He didn't want to hear her give any excuses, he knew that she was only going to try to make things better, but he knew that nothing she said would really make him feel better as long as she was still rejecting him.

Sasuke looked at Naruto, causing the blonde to sigh. Naruto turned up the music, "I love this song, don't you guys."

"Yeah, I do, who sings it?" Sasuke asked, effectively changing the subject as the two in the back stopped talking.

**NS**

"Thank god we're here, I thought that would never end," Sasuke said as he and Naruto grabbed their things. The raven was very annoyed. The entire car ride had been awkward silence, bickering, and subject changing.

"You're telling me, you're not the one who had to change the subject about a million times," Naruto exaggerated.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes as he said, "Right, well let's just get away from here before those two start bickering again." Naruto agreed as he locked the doors to the car and they quickly and quietly walked away before they could get pulled into another fight.

Kiba watched Naruto and Sasuke walk away and just shook his head. He grabbed his things from the back of the truck and started to walk toward his dorm room. Hinata quickly grabbed her things and followed him.

Hinata grabbed her things and closed the back of the truck. "Kiba you can't avoid me forever," she said as she tried to catch up to the brunette. "Please just talk to me," she pleaded.

"What do you want me to say to you?" he asked as he turned around to face her. "I mean you know how I feel and you obviously don't feel the same," he pointed out.

"I don't know what I feel," she said as she looked down. "I don't want to lose you as a friend," she added quietly.

"Well, I don't know if I could be just your friend," Kiba said. He felt kind of bad to say the words, but he knew it was true in order to get over her.

"But I'm not sure if I can be more than a friend to you," she said, feeling as if she were going to cry. She hated the thought of losing a friend.

"Answer me one question, is it because you still are in love with Naruto?" he asked, though he knew the answer.

"I'm sorry," she said, not able to look him in the eye.

"I am too, maybe I just need time," he added.

"Time?" she asked, not even knowing what he meant by that.

"Yes, time to just get over you," he said as he tried to walk away, but she wouldn't let him.

"Kiba, you can't be serious," Hinata felt as if she were going to cry. She didn't know what to do. She wondered if she should go out on a date just so she could continue being his friend.

"Please don't make this more difficult than it already is," Kiba said as he pulled his arm away. He frowned as he turned and walked away.

**TBC…?**


	32. No Questions

**This will be my last update before starting school. As I've said, from this point on I don't know how often I'll update. I'll try to as much as I can…I have through chapter 41 written and through chapter 39 actually typed so hopefully that'll leave me enough room to still update frequently **

**This isn't my favorite chapter, but hopefully people like it…I feel that it's a little bit of a filler chapter, but it showcases some of the other characters in the story…**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review…**

**Chapter 32: No Questions**

Temari and Shikamaru sat outside on campus talking. They were sitting rather close; if one saw them they would think they were a couple. "So, how was camping?" she asked. The question was more a question of if he had hooked up with Ino, just not in so many words.

"It was fun, everyone got pretty drunk, so that was entertaining," Shikamaru shrugged. He didn't really care if that was the answer that she wanted, if she wanted to know if he and Ino got together then she was going to have to ask.

"Anything interesting happen?" she asked, trying a different approach. She was getting annoyed that he wasn't taking the hint of what she wanted to know.

"Kiba told Hinata that he loved her," he shrugged. He figured that was what most people found interesting about the trip.

"Oh, did they get together?" she asked. She was actually interested because she did kind of see Hinata as a friend.

"No, she doesn't see him as boyfriend material apparently," he shrugged. "In other words he's not Naruto," Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Did anyone else get together on the trip?" she asked, knowing it would get the answer she wanted.

"If your asking if me and Ino got together, the answer is no," he said with a sigh. He was finding that girls could be very troublesome, especially when you liked two them.

Before she could respond, Ino and Choji walked up to them. The blonde was annoyed with the fact that they were so close, she was starting to wonder if she should just give up on Shikamaru all together. "Hey guys, what are you doing?" Ino asked.

"Talking," Temari said, practically glaring at the girl. One thing was certain and that was the fact that these two were not friends. "What do you want?" she asked.

"I was just making conversation," Ino shot back with a glare. The two were seemed to be starting a battle, though it was not physical and on the outside the words appeared to be nice enough. Deep down, the words were full of hate because both of them wanted the same guy.

After a few minutes of silent glaring, Ino said, "I'm going to go find Sakura." She walked away angry. She hated the game Shikamaru was playing.

Temari saw her brother, she was annoyed as well, "It was nice talking to you Shikamaru, but I'm going to go talk to my brother."

**NS**

Ino found Sakura studying in their room. She was happy that the pink haired girl was there because she really needed someone to talk to. "Am I stupid?" Ino asked as she sat down on her bed.

Sakura looked up in confusion, "What? No you're not stupid, you have great grades. What brought this up?" The pink haired girl didn't even think for a moment that the conversation might have come up because of a certain boy.

"Because I continue to like the same guy who obviously doesn't like me enough to ask me out," Ino explained. She hated feeling as if she weren't good enough for some guy. Inside she knew no guy was worth feeling as if you weren't good enough.

"This is about Shikamaru?" Sakura asked. "Trust me, you can't help how you feel," she pointed out. "It's not as if it's something you have control over," she then added.

"But right now he's making me feel like I'm not good enough, as if there were some way I could be just a little bit better so he'd actually pick me," she frowned. "I'm just sick of feeling that way," Ino looked down.

"Ino, no guy is worth that," Sakura said. "I mean you told me it is time to move on from Sasuke, maybe it's time for you to move on from Shikamaru," she tried to smile in hopes of making her feel better, but she knew it wasn't working.

"I know that I should get over him," Ino said. She knew that she liked Shikamaru, but it was getting to the point that she knew she'd never really be with us.

"Trust me, I understand," Sakura said with a sigh, feeling that she was in the same situation with Sasuke.

"The funny thing is, I think that I saw this coming for a while," Ino said. In a way she knew that she was going to have to get over Shikamaru eventually because he never did seem to give her as much attention as he gave Temari. "It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would," she admitted. Ino didn't mention the fact that she may be developing a crush on Sai. She knew that Sakura thought that Sai would help her move on, it would only cause more drama between them like Sasuke did in high school.

"I guess you've just prepared yourself," Sakura smiled. She was happy that it seemed as if her friend was dealing with her situation well.

Ino just nodded, though she knew that it wasn't just being prepared. She wondered what would happen and if their friendship could last if one of them started fighting for a guy again.

**NS**

Temari saw Gaara glaring at Neji and Tenten. She couldn't help but notice, as it was extremely obvious. She didn't want to talk about Shikamaru, so she thought about asking her brother what was going on.

"So, you and Neji?" Temari asked as she walked over to him.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Gaara said as he looked away from the longhaired teen. He didn't want his sister to know everything that was going on, she'd be furious with Neji. He was angry with Neji, but it was something he was expecting to happen.

"Sure you don't," Temari rolled her eyes. "You looked as if you wanted to kill him and Tenten, so care to explain?" she asked. She was obviously expecting an answer, but by the look on her brother's face, she knew she wasn't going to get one.

"You were just speaking with Shikamaru," Gaara observed as he looked at his sister. "He's no good for you," he added. He didn't like the way Shikamaru was being indecisive, it seemed as if he were playing with the girls' hearts.

"Excuse me?" Temari asked. She was annoyed that her brother was talking about Shikamaru when it seemed that Neji was obviously doing the same thing. She wasn't dumb; she could tell when her brother was heart broken.

"He's playing with your heart," Gaara said. He seemed angry about the way his sister had been treated. It may partially be because he felt that Neji was doing the same thing with his and Tenten's heart.

"You should talk," she scoffed. Temari rolled her eyes at the way her brother was acting. He had no right to tell her who was and wasn't good for her.

"Excuse me?" Gaara said with a glare. He didn't like what his sister was insinuating. She didn't even know about the situation between him and Neji, yet she seemed to know exactly what was going on.

"It's obvious that there is something between you and Neji. It also seems as if he isn't treating you that great if that conversation with Tenten is any indication," Temari said.

"That's none of your business," Gaara said angrily. He didn't want to talk about Neji just like Temari didn't want to talk about Shikamaru.

"If it's none of my business, then neither is Shikamaru any of yours," she said. She didn't like being so harsh to Gaara, but Shikamaru was a touchy subject. It seemed like Neji was a touchy subject for him as well.

Gaara looked at Neji and Tenten and sighed, "Fine, but if he hurts you I'll kill him."

Temari just shook her head, "I wouldn't expect anything less." Part of her was worried that he was actually serious.

**NS**

Neji couldn't help but look over at Gaara. He was supposed to be concentrating on Tenten but the redhead made it difficult. Hew as glaring at them with what looked to be a murderous intent. Neji just found himself nodding and half listening to Tenten he knew he wasn't really that interested.

"Are you even listening?" Tenten asked, noticing that he seemed to be ignoring her.

"Yeah," he said, obviously distracted. He was even looking away often; it made her wonder what was so much more important than her.

She tried to find what it was, but when she looked in the direction, all she saw was Gaara and Tenten. Tenten didn't think that Gaara liked either one of them, so she didn't see what could be distracting about them. "Then what'd I say?" she asked. She didn't believe that he was truly listening and from the look on his face, she had a feeling that she was right.

"I'm sorry, I'm just distracted," Neji sighed. "I have a lot on my mind right now," he added. She just frowned as he continued to ask, "Can we continue this conversation later?"

"Sure, it wasn't that important anyway," she said, but he was already leaving before she could finish her sentence. Tenten didn't understand why he was in such a hurry to get away. She knew Neji was usually more polite than that.

**NS**

Neji just wanted to not think about what was going on, he didn't want to think about his true feelings. The brunette quickly pulled out his phone and sent a text to all his guy friends, excluding Gaara, saying, _'Meet me in my room in five minutes.'_

**NS**

"Did you just get a text from Neji?" Naruto asked Sasuke as they sat in their room. He was wondering why Neji wanted to see him.

Sasuke sighed as he grabbed his phone off the nightstand. "Yeah," he said as he turned his phone off silent, realizing he had forgot to change it after class.

"Why do you think he wants us to go to his room?" the blonde asked. He always hated when people didn't explain things, it always made him come up with crazy ideas as to what might happen.

"Le's go find out," Sasuke shrugged as he got up. "I'm sure it's nothing bad," he said. "Unless you did something to make him angry," the raven said after a short pause.

"I haven't done anything wrong," Naruto said. "I just like knowing everything that's going on," he then added as he got off of his bed.

"You're weird, you like surprises but are suspicious when people don't tell you what's going on," Sasuke said. He wasn't sure he'd ever figure the blonde out.

"I like surprising other people," Naruto corrected as they walked out of their room, making Sasuke roll his eyes.

"You're a moron," Sasuke said with a small smirk.

"Yeah and you put up with it, what does that say about you?" Naruto smiled, causing the other to sigh.

**NS**

Naruto and Sasuke walked into Neji's room. The raven had been teasing him the entire walk from their dorm. They saw most of their guy friends in the room, playing Neji's gaming system. Sasuke just smirked at the blonde, "I told you there was nothing to worry about."

"Why would you worry?" Neji asked as he gave the blonde a somewhat confused look.

"You didn't say why," said Naruto, feeling a little stupid. "Why did you call us here besides to play games? There is usually a reason," he then pointed out.

"Let's not ask questions," Neji quickly responded. "I'd rather not talk about today," he then added.

"Agreed," Shikamaru said, making Choji chuckle.

"Fine, just give me a controller then," Naruto said as he stole a controller from Choji and started to play the game.

**TBC…**


	33. Plans

**Some important things are laid out in this chapter…it may be a little boring, but it is an important chapter for future chapters because it puts into motion some of the things that will be important later on, if you want to guess what they are go for it, I probably won't tell you if you're right or wrong, I think they're pretty obvious, but if you want to know you'll have to wait and read…**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 33: Plans**

Naruto and Kiba met outside, in the main campus area, for lunch. It was a nice day out; surprisingly warm for the time of year. "Hey," Naruto said as he walked up to Kiba with a smile. "Have you registered for classes yet?" he asked as he sat down.

"No," the brunette answered. "Unfortunately it seems the school started at the back of the alphabet this time, so I don't get to register until tomorrow," he explained with a sigh. "What about you? I'm sure they've gotten to the U's already," he then added.

"Yeah, me and Sasuke registered this morning," Naruto confirmed. "I even talked him into taking some classes with me," he then smiled. "He didn't think it sounded too fun, but I convinced him eventually," the blonde said triumphantly. He was thinking about how nice it would be to have friend in the class, especially one who could tutor him.

Kiba just shook his head; he couldn't believe that Sasuke let himself get talked into classes with Naruto. The only way that Kiba knew to explain it was that Sasuke was falling for the blonde, even if he didn't know it. "That's great, how many classes do you have together?" he asked.

"Two, it would be three but I took my lab this semester and he decided to take it next semester. We're taking English and some easy ass Art class for a fine arts credit," he said.

"Any online?" Kiba asked. He was considering what classes to take that semester; he was hoping he could take at least one online.

"Art is," Naruto said. "Which makes it even easier, because I'm not sure that I could sit through an entire class of a teacher talking about the different periods of art. I'd die," he laughed.

Kiba just laughed, "I'm sure you would." The brunette then changed the subject by asking, "Do you have any plans for winter break yet?"

"I think I'm just going to stay home," the blonde shrugged. "Kyuubi will be around sometimes, but because he's working with this new company, he won't be around all the time. I will have the house mostly to myself," Naruto smiled.

"That's cool, I'm going to the mountains with my family," Kiba sighed. "Luckily Choji said his family is going up there too so it won't be completely dreadful. I like my family and all, but that doesn't mean that I want to spend and entire winter break with just them," the brunette said.

"Then why go?" Naruto asked with a laugh. Every year the brunette's family went up to the mountains for winter break, he didn't understand why Kiba went if he hated it so much.

"It's family tradition," Kiba shrugged. "It's not like we're going all winter break, just most of it," he added. "You should come up and hang out for a weekend, it'd be fun. They have great slopes up there," he continued with a smile.

"If I don't have to work I will," Naruto assured him. The blonde saw Suigetsu and Sasuke walking, it looked as if they just got out of class. "Sasuke, Sugietsu," the blonde called, getting their attention.

The two walked over to them and Sasuke said, "What's up moron?" He had his usual smirk on his face, showing he was just trying to get a reaction from the blonde.

"Nice to see you too bastard," Naruto responded with a smile.

Suigetsu couldn't help but wonder if this was their odd way of flirting. "So what were you guys talking about before we came over?" the light haired teen asked as he sat down.

Sasuke sighed when he realized they were getting pulled into a conversation and sat down as well. All he wanted to do was go to his room and relax, he'd just had a test in his last class and while he knew the information it was still a difficult test.

"We were just talking about our plans for winter break. You guys have any yet?" Naruto asked. The blonde was hopeful that at some point during the break they could all hang out.

"Isn't it a little early to be talking about winter break?" Sasuke asked. "We still have about two weeks until then," he said looking at them as if they were crazy.

"It's never too early to be talking about winter break. If you want to go somewhere cool, you have to plan," Kiba said as if it were a stupid question. "So what are you guys doing?" he then asked, wanting an answer out of them just like it seemed the blonde did.

"I'm just staying home," Suigetsu shrugged. "Which kind of sucks because that means I have to put up with Kisame," he sighed.

"Is he your brother?" Naruto asked. He knew he'd heard that name before and wondered if that was how Sasuke and Suigetsu knew each other, because their brothers knew each other.

"No," Suigetsu said harshly. "I met him through Itachi and Sasuke, he agreed to let me stay with him during the break from school so I don't have to get an apartment. It was really more of a favor for Sasuke than anything, the guy doesn't want to upset Itachi's baby brother," he laughed. "We don't like each other much though," he added.

"What about you Sasuke?" Naruto asked. He was truly interested, mainly because of how the guy reacted to his guardian.

"I'm probably just going to stay in the student housing," Sasuke shrugged. He didn't want to go home and he knew that the school offered alternative housing when the dorms closed for the winter break.

"Why not stay with Suigetsu or Itachi?" Naruto asked. "Or go home?" he was confused as to why Sasuke would pick student housing when he seemed to have so many options.

"I'm not going to be in the same house with Suigetsu and Kisame, that just doesn't sound appealing to me," Sasuke quickly said. "I have to work and it just makes more sense for me to stay here than to go see Itachi, that'd be over an hour drive to work," he added. After a moment he then just sighed and said, "And I'm just not going home."

The blonde didn't push it any further than that to question why he wouldn't want to go home, he knew Sasuke wouldn't tell him. "You can stay with me," Naruto said with a smile. "I'd be fun and less expensive," he said. He then added, "Plus, work isn't that far from my house."

"No, really I'm fine in student housing," Sasuke said. He didn't want to stay with Naruto, the blonde confused him enough being his roommate, let alone spending all winter break with him.

"Come on, it'll be fun," Naruto said, showing he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He didn't know why he wanted to spend winter break with the raven or why it mattered to him that Sasuke would be staying in student housing if he didn't agree to stay with him.

"If they don't have another fight before then," Kiba chuckled, making Suigetsu laugh as well.

"Shut up," Naruto said. He was annoyed that his best friend wasn't helping the process, but instead making him work. "Don't listen to them Sasuke, it'll be fun. Plus I won't take no for an answer," he said with a smile.

Sasuke sighed as he looked at his friends, "Fine." He knew he was going to regret his decision, but he couldn't take it back.

**NS**

Later that day, Kiba sat in his room, staring at the ceiling. His roommate Shino was reading on the other bed, not bothering to ask what was on the brunette's mind. Shino knew sooner or later, Kiba would want to talk about it if it were of any importance.

"Hinata wants to be friends still," Kiba finally spoke up. "I don't know if I can be friends with her after she pretty much rejected me," he said. He hated how pitiful it sounded, to just stop being someone's friend because they didn't want to be with you.

"You have to do what's right for you," Shino said. He knew that Kiba wanted someone to tell him what to do, but he wasn't going to be that person, he felt the brunette had to make up his own mind.

"But I don't know what that is," Kiba sighed. "I want to be her friend, it's just really hard when every time I look at her, I feel rejected," he said. He was still trying to figure out what to do, he knew he'd told her that he needed some time, but she had been trying to talk to him and be friends again every time they saw each other. "How can I just be her friend after what has happened?" he asked.

"I can't answer that for you," Shino said. He frowned at the question, wishing he could help his friend, but knowing he couldn't.

Kiba knew that Shino was right, but he wished someone would just tell him what to do. He sighed and continued to look at the ceiling, trying to make a decision.

**NS**

Kiba had finally made up his mind; he just had to find Hinata to tell her. He made his way to her favorite hang out on campus and saw her talking to Ino. He walked up to the two and looked at Hinata as he asked, "Hey can I talk to you for a minute?"

She nodded as they walked away from Ino so that the girl was out of hearing range. "What did you want to talk about?" Hinata said nervously. She wasn't sure which direction the conversation would go.

He sighed, knowing this conversation would be more difficult than he anticipated. "Look, I know you want us to be friends, but I don't think I can do that," he said. He looked down when he saw how sad she looked. He knew if he looked at her, he might change his mind.

"But why?" she stuttered. She couldn't believe that he was actually ending their friendship over what happened.

"I need to get over you and I can't do that if every time I see you, you act as if nothing happened," he said.

"So we can't even talk at all?" she asked sadly. She couldn't believe this was happening, she wished that he had never told her. Hinata just wanted things to go back to normal.

"Not until I'm actually over you," he said. He couldn't take the look she was giving him any longer so he just walked away, not giving her time to try to change his mind. He knew that it was what he needed.

Hinata watched as he walked away, frozen in place. She couldn't believe that it was actually happening. After a moment she finally walked back over to Ino. "I can't believe it," she said quietly.

"What happened?" Ino asked, concerned because of how sad her friend looked.

"He doesn't want to be friends anymore," she answered. She was in complete shock as to what had just happened.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry," Ino said. She knew how important of a person Kiba was to her. She felt bad that the girl was losing a best friend. She quietly tried to comfort her.

"I just never thought it'd hurt so much," Hinata admitted. She looked down, hating to lose a friend.

"Maybe you should give him a chance then," Ino suggested. "He obviously likes you and Naruto isn't going to change his preferences," she said. She knew the girl couldn't change how she felt, but she also knew how people could be blinded when they thought they were in love with someone else.

She looked at Ino, considering her advice. Hinata wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she hoped she'd figure it out soon. She didn't want to give Kiba false hope, but she also didn't want to lose a friend.

**TBC…?**


	34. Mind Games

**Sorry that I haven't posted in the last couple of days, I've been busy with school, which I have on the days I'd normally post and write more chapters…thanks to all that reviewed, I hope you like the chapter…**

**Some people wanted to see Orochimaru more; you get that in this chapter**

**Also hotanimeguysrock requested a drunk Sasuke and sober Naruto back in a chapter 9 review and I got a pm from LLAMAS WILL RULE THE WORLD saying that they want to see a drunk Sasuke after a tense moment…this kind of gives you all of that**

**This is why reviews are important, I did not plan to put drunken Sasuke in this until I was writing the chapter and remembered the pm and review that I had received and thought it would work... it's good to make your ideas known…It may spark and idea in my mind and I will add to chapters that I have already outlined as you see in this one**

**Chapter 34: Mind Games**

Sasuke was in the library studying, as he often did when he wanted some quiet time. He knew that his roommate wouldn't be quite unless he was asking for help and then listening to the answer, so he went to the school library in order to study.

"Studying hard?" he heard a voice say. It was none other than his business professor, Kabuto. The man had a smile on his face that made Sasuke's skin crawl.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked harshly. He couldn't wait for the semester to be over just so he could be out of his class. He was pretty sure that Orochimaru couldn't be a guest in any of the classes he was signed up for the next semester.

"I'm just here to give you a gift from Orochimaru," the man said. He pulled out a night light, setting it in front of Sasuke. It was a specific nightlight; it was the exact same one that the raven had in his dorm. "Have a nice day," Kabuto smiled as he walked away.

Sasuke felt as if his heart were going a hundred miles an hour. He couldn't help but wonder if Orochimaru had somehow gotten into his room and took the nightlight. He had to get out of the library; he knew if Kabuto knew where he was then so did Orochimaru.

He quickly made his way to his dorm, thinking about the nightlight the entire time. He couldn't help but come up with ways that Orochimaru might have gotten into his room. The raven felt as if his heart would explode out of his chest the more that he thought about. He was trying to appear calm, but Sasuke knew he wasn't doing a good job; there was no way he could be considering how he felt at that moment.

**NS**

Sasuke arrived at his dorm, he wasn't sure that he wanted to see if the nightlight was there. He knew if it wasn't he wouldn't be able to sleep that night. He opened the door and walked in the room, shutting it behind him. He looked at the nightlight, still in place plugged into the wall. Sasuke collapsed against the door, talking a deep breath as he quietly said, "He's just trying to get to me."

Sasuke didn't even notice the blonde until he asked, "Are you okay?" Naruto noticed that the raven once again had a terrified look on his face and that made him immediately concerned.

Sasuke didn't answer the question; instead he got up and walked into the bathroom. He then locked the bathroom door to both their room and the room next t o them that the bathroom connected. He decided to take a shower, hoping it would calm him down.

Naruto just looked at the bathroom door, clues as to what had just happened. He knew something had scared the raven and he had a feeling that it was Orochimaru; he just wished that he knew why.

**NS**

Sasuke went to business class the next day. He was still a little shaken up, but trying not to show it. It didn't help that he could feel Orochimaru's eyes on him the entire class.

Hinata was sitting to the left of Sasuke. She could tell that something was wrong with him. Over the past few weeks she had come to notice Sasuke's personality in class was entirely different from that outside of class. He was quieter and more guarded than usual in class. She thought back to high school and the classes that he had with him and she realized it was just that particular class. "Sasuke, are you feeling well?" She asked nervously. She found the raven to be intimidating, however, she was still worried enough to ask.

"I'm fine," he answered. He didn't look at her. He just looked down at his notes. His voice was quite and somewhat colder than usual.

Hinata didn't really believe him so she nervously asked, "Are you sure? You're being awfully quiet." She normally wouldn't ask any further questions, especially not when it came to Sasuke, but something seemed off.

"Yes, I'm sure," he answered in the same tone of voice as before.

The girl discreetly looked to Suigetsu, who was sitting on Sasuke's right. The light haired teen just frowned, confirming her thought that something was indeed wrong.

Once class was over, Sasuke just wanted out of the class. Orochimaru could tell that the raven was going to practically run out, so he walked out before the boy. When Sasuke walked out, the older man grabbed his arm, pulling him aside. He then quietly said, "I see that I still get to you." The older man saw Suigetsu and Hinata walking over to stop their conversation. He released the grasp on Sasuke's upper arm, that he was sure would leave a little bit of a mark, and he walked away, smirking at them.

"What did he want?" Hinata asked timidly. She was worried because she remembered that Naruto had wanted to know about the man and there had to be a reason for that.

"Nothing," Sasuke said as he rubbed his arm and walked away.

Suigetsu saw that he wasn't going in the direction of his next class and he had a feeling he wasn't going to go at all. He frowned at the way Sasuke was rubbing his arm, knowing that Orochimaru's grasp must have been extremely tight. Hinata looked as if she wanted more of an explanation, but he didn't give one. "Just let him clear his head," Suigetsu said. He sighed; he was worried that Orochimaru seemed to be getting bolder and less afraid of public places.

**NS**

Naruto sat in class wondering where Sasuke was. It wasn't like him to be late. He was worried about the raven, thinking of reasons why he wouldn't show up for class. He knew that it wasn't like Sasuke to just take the day off of class for no reason.

**NS**

Sasuke walked through campus, trying to clear his head. He stayed in the busier parts of campus, not wanting to give Orochimaru a chance to get him alone with no witnesses. He hated that the man was still able to affect him. He knew that he shouldn't let Orochimaru get to him, but it was easier said than done.

**NS**

Naruto got back to the dorm to see Sasuke lying on his bed, writing in his journal. Part of him was relieved to see that Sasuke was okay; the other part wanted an answer as to why he wasn't in class. "Why weren't you in class today?" the blonde asked. He had a feeling that Sasuke wouldn't give him an answer, or at least not the one that he wanted.

"I really don't want to talk about it," the raven said with a sigh. He waned to forget about it, not talk about the events of the past two days.

"Then what do you want to do?" Naruto asked. He was hoping that he could at least cheer Sasuke up a little bit.

After thinking for a moment, Sasuke said, "I want to drink." He didn't want to think about Orochimaru and he knew that a drink would help with that.

"I really don't think that's the best idea," Naruto said. "You can't just drink your problems away," he added. Normally he would be all up for drinking, but he knew it wasn't the going to solve anything.

"I know that," the other boy said. "But right now, I really don't want a lecture," Sasuke sighed. "I just need you to be a little bit of a friend and do what I ask."

Naruto smiled at the way Sasuke acknowledged they were friends. "Okay, I get it," he gave in. "I'll find us a party," the blonde said.

**NS**

It was just the two of them at a house party full of people that they didn't know. He knew that Kiba was studying for a big test so he didn't bother to call him. He didn't want to tell Suigetsu what they were doing because he knew he'd say it was a bad idea; therefore he didn't ask him to come either. Naruto knew that he'd have to be the sober of the two that night because it really didn't seem as if Sasuke cared that he had a low tolerance for alcohol at that point.

"Don't you think that you should slow down?" Naruto asked once Sasuke was on his third beer. He was worried that the raven wasn't in the right state of mind to see that enough was enough.

"Nope," Sasuke said and Naruto could tell he was already drunk. He could tell by the way Sasuke was staring at him.

"I think you should," Naruto said, hating to have to be the voice of reason. He felt it was so much easier when he was able to drink as well and not have to worry about anyone else.

"I think that you just need another drink," Sasuke said as he leaned on the blonde, even thought they were sitting on a couch.

The raven started play with Naruto's blonde hair, making a tingle go down his spine. Naruto could quickly see there this was going, he remembered hearing about how Sasuke acted at the first party when they got drunk.

"Really Sasuke, you should stop drinking," Naruto said as he took his beer away.

"Okay," Sasuke said with a smirk on his face. "I guess I can find something else to occupy my lips," he said as he stared at the blonde.

"What…" Naruto started to ask, but was cut off by a certain raven moving onto his lap and starting to kiss him. The blonde was in shock at first and he couldn't help but go along with the kiss, after all he was finding that even drunk Sasuke was an amazing kisser. Then he remembered that he was drunk and quickly pushed him away, saying, "Really Sasuke you need to just go and sleep this off."

Sasuke didn't listen and instead started kissing the blonde's neck, eliciting a moan from said blonde. "I like that reaction," Sasuke said, smirking at Naruto.

He was about to continue kissing the blonde, when Naruto pushed him away yet again, this time getting him off his lap. He didn't need to encourage the raven by getting a boner. "No, we're going back to the dorm," Naruto said sternly.

"Why do you want to continue this in private?" asked Sasuke in a sultry, bedroom voice.

Naruto blushed at the comment and what it insinuated. "No you're going to go to sleep. In your own bed, alone," he said as he pulled the raven out of the party since Sasuke didn't seem to be able to walk right on his own.

"What fun is that?" Sasuke asked, whispering in the blonde's ear.

**NS**

Sasuke passed out practically the minute his head hit the pillow. This was after much groping the entire way back to their dorm. Naruto could only sigh, wishing they hadn't gone out that night. He lay down, trying to deal with the feelings that night had started to bring out. He knew that he found Sasuke attractive, but that didn't mean that he should let the raven kiss him and it definitely shouldn't mean he should want it to happen again.

**NS**

Sasuke woke up with a headed ache, cursing himself for his actions the previous night. Unfortunately for him, he could remember what he had done to a sober Naruto. He wasn't good at apologizing but he knew that he had to. Sasuke looked over to see Naruto sitting on his bed, staring at his computer screen. "Hey," Sasuke said.

"Morning," Naruto replied. He didn't want to make things awkward, but by the look on Sasuke's face, he knew they might be.

"About last night," Sasuke started, looking away from the blonde. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have kissed you," he added.

"It's fine, you were drunk," Naruto said. "It's no big deal," the blonde shrugged, hoping they wouldn't become awkward yet again.

"Okay, good," Sasuke said, not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah," Naruto replied as he turned back to his computer.

"So, what are you working on?" Sasuke asked, trying to change the subject and see if things were really okay.

"A stupid paper for stupid history," Naruto said, obviously annoyed with the paper. "I mean why do we really need to know this crap?" he asked.

"They say that those who don't know history are bound to repeat it," Sasuke said as he laughed at the blonde's frustration.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," Naruto grumbled. "The question was rhetorical," he said not really wanting an answer.

"Big word for you," Sasuke smirked, earning him a glare from the blonde. "If you don't want the answer to something, don't ask it," he then added with a shrug.

Naruto just rolled his eyes, but he was happy that things seemed to be able to go back to normal. He was worried that after the previous night nothing would be the same between them.

**NS**

That afternoon Hinata saw Naruto for once by himself. She quickly walked up to him and jumped right to the point by asking, "Naruto can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," he laughed, but stopped when she gave him a serious look. "Sure what is it," he said with a smile.

"Has Sasuke been acting weird lately?" she asked nervously. She figured with how much time he spent around the raven, he'd know.

Naruto paused for a moment, "Yeah, why?" He knew the girl was in his business class, which may have something to do with it.

She started to look down, nervous again, as she said, "Well he was acting weird in class. I was just wondering if you knew why."

"Sorry, I wish that I did," the blonde frowned. He expected her to walk away, but she didn't. Instead he noticed that she got more nervous.

"One more thing," she stuttered. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, and then nervously asked, "Can you talk to Kiba for me? He doesn't want to be friends now, I was hoping you could change his mind."

Naruto frowned, not wanting to interfere, "I'll see what I can do." He saw her smile and tried to smile back, but it was hard because he knew that he wouldn't be able to change Kiba's mind.

**TBC…**


	35. Nightmare

**Warning: This chapter contains a dream/nightmare sequence with Orochimaru beating Sasuke…it is going to be in italics, if you don't want to read it, just skip the italic section**

**I figured that I should update when I can, seeing as another one probably won't come for awhile.**

**Chapter 35: Nightmare **

_Sasuke found himself alone, walking down a dark hallway. He was looking for some kind of exit, but it was of no use. His heart was beating fast and he wasn't quite sure why. The dark hallway suddenly became a dark room and that was when he had the sinking feeling that he was no longer alone. _

"_Hello Sasuke," the familiar voice said from behind him. It was the voice he was always running away from and it belonged to Orochimaru. _

_Sasuke tried to run, but his feet wouldn't move. He tried to talk or scream, but nothing came out. He felt helpless as the older man came closer, which only promised pain._

"_I've missed this, haven't you?" the older man asked with an evil smirk. It almost seemed as if he weren't going to do anything, but that was soon proven wrong. The man clutched his arm tightly and said, "I'm going to have some fun tonight."_

_Sasuke wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't. Instead he had to watch as the man's fist connected with his stomach, he knew this was only the warm up. He was soon pushed against the wall, creating a bang loud enough that it seemed as if something should be broken. As he fell to the ground, that was when he was kicked in the side, making him fall completely over. _

"_What you aren't going to fight back?" Orochimaru asked as he roughly picked the boy up. "Are you that pathetic?" he then chuckled._

"_Please just stop," Sasuke's voice finally worked. It was of no use though, as the older man continued to beat him, punching, kicking, throwing, taking all his aggression out on him. "Please," he then begged again._

"_Sasuke," he heard, but his time in a different voice, he still recognized it, but he couldn't place it._

"_Please stop," Sasuke said, but every time his legs would work and he would try to get away, he would just end up getting hurt worse. He would be pulled back with a force rough enough to leave a bruise, only for him to create another one with his fist._

"_Sasuke," he heard the voice again and he felt as if he was being shaken. That was when Orochimaru disappeared._

Sasuke woke, panting and sweating. He looked terrified as he looked around the room, realizing Orochimaru was nowhere to be found. The raven looked at the blonde who had been trying to wake him up, he was talking but Sasuke couldn't quite process what he was saying. Once he settled down he asked, "What?"

"You had a nightmare, you were screaming, begging someone to stop," Naruto said. He was obviously concerned as he was still sitting close to Sasuke with one hand on his shoulder. Sasuke's heart was still beating rapidly and Naruto could tell that something was wrong still. The blonde just pulled the raven against his chest and said, "It's okay Sasuke." He was surprised when the raven didn't push him away.

Sasuke just shook his head, indicating that it was not okay. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down so he could at least think properly. He moved out of the blonde's arms, trying to deny to himself that he was comfortable in them.

"What was the nightmare about that had you so scared?" Naruto asked. He let Sasuke slip from his arms, but he didn't move away from him.

"I need to go to sleep," Sasuke said, not answering the blonde's question.

Before Naruto could protest, the raven pushed him out of the way in order to lie down. Naruto just sighed and moved to his own bed. He looked over at Sasuke, knowing he was faking to be asleep. Instead of pushing the issue, he decided to just go to sleep.

**NS**

Ino and Hinata sat in the dark haired girl's room, they had been talking for the better part of the morning. Hinata was still confused about what to do to make Kiba forgive her. "If you're that worried about losing him as a friend, maybe you should just give him a chance," Ino said.

Hinata thought about her words, "Won't it make it more awkward if we go on a date and I don't feel anything?" She was worried that she'd lose him forever if they had a bad date.

"Maybe he'll find it awkward too and find that he doesn't really feel that way about you," Ino said. "Or it won't be awkward at all and you'll fall for him," she pointed out.

"Well, maybe I could take a chance," Hinata stuttered. She still wasn't sure how it would turn out, but she knew that Ino could be right.

"I hope you have better lucky in love than me," Ino laughed. She felt she had the worst luck in love. Either the guys she liked end up being gay, taken, or her best friend liked him.

Hinata smiled, "I'm sure you'll find someone soon."

"I think I like someone," Ino said. "Other than Shikamaru," she added. She was being incredibly vague about it, which made Hinata wonder who it was.

Hinata asked, "Who?" She was curious as to why it was the first time she'd heard about the crush.

"Sai," she answered. "But I could never pursue it," Ino sighed as she thought about her pink haired best friend.

Hinata looked at her, confused, as she asked, "Why not?"

"Sakura thinks he's going to help her move on from Sasuke," Ino explained. "We spent practically all high school fighting over Sasuke, I don't want all of college to be fighting over Sai."

Hinata frowned, "Does he even like her?" she didn't understand why Ino would just give up on who she liked.

"I don't think so, but he might," she said.

**NS**

Sasuke was acting as if nothing had happened the previous night; therefore Naruto was acting as if nothing happened. Neither of the boys brought it up and it seemed as if they weren't going to. Instead of bringing up something that might just start a fight, they decided to study and move on as if nothing had happed.

Finals were in a week so the two of them had agreed to help each other study. All morning they had been sitting outside at one of the stone tables on campus, with their papers spread everywhere. Everything was going fine, until Sasuke saw him.

It had been happening more often lately, he knew it was because it was the end of the semester and so Orochimaru was trying to get to him while he could. It sent a chill down his spine as he remembered the nightmare he'd had.

"Earth to Sasuke," Naruto said, snapping the raven back to reality. "Are you okay? One minute you were quizzing me the next you were just staring off," the blonde said.

"Sorry, I'm fine, I think I'm just tired," Sasuke said. He knew it was a lame excuse but he didn't care.

"So it has nothing to do with the man sitting over there staring at us?" Naruto asked. It made Sasuke wonder when the blonde became so observant; little did he know that he was really only observant when it came to Sasuke.

Sasuke just looked down, not wanting to answer that question. They both knew the answer was a definite yes. The raven tried looking at the blonde while saying, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Naruto didn't believe him for a second. "Right," he said shaking his head. "But that's the same guy that came in to get coffee that day, so I really don't believe you," he added. He watched the raven react, knowing he felt uncomfortable. Sasuke didn't reply, so the blonde knew he was right. "Do you want me to go over there and talk to him? I can try to make him leave," Naruto said.

"No, it's fine, let's just study," Sasuke said, trying to convince even himself that he was fine. It almost made him smile knowing that Naruto would go defend him, but he wasn't sure why that was special considering a number of his friends and his brother would all do the same thing. He picked up a flashcard, showing the blonde the word and expecting the answer.

"So that's it?" Naruto asked with a frown. He looked back at Orochimaru with disgust before he turned to Sasuke and said, "We can move to a different table."

"Just say the damn answer," the raven said, showing he didn't want to continue talking about Orochimaru.

"Fine," Naruto sighed before he gave the answer to the question. The conversation was then officially dropped. He knew Sasuke wouldn't talk about it, he just hoped one day that the raven would talk about it with him.

**NS**

Hinata found Kiba exactly where she expected to at noon, eating lunch. She was surprised to see him with only Suigetsu and not with the normal group of Naruto and Sasuke as well. "Kiba, can I speak to you alone?" she asked.

He frowned, hoping it wasn't another attempt to be his friend. The brunette looked at Suigetsu and said, "I'll be right back." He and Hinata walked just out of hearing range and sat at another table. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked as they sat down.

"Us," she said. Hinata took a pause as Kiba looked at her, expecting her to elaborate. "I want to give us a try, just go out on a date," she said nervously.

"I don't want you to do this just to be my friend," he said, looking at her skeptically. He wondered why she had the sudden change of heart.

"I want to," she stuttered. With a little more confidence she said, "I think it would be good for me, I never tried going on a date because I was so hooked on Naruto."

Kiba studied her for a moment before saying his response, "Okay." He smiled, happy to get at least one date with his dream girl. "When?" he asked.

"We could go tonight," she said a little timidly.

"I'll pick you up at your dorm at seven?" he asked. The smile was still present on his face; he really couldn't help it at that point.

"Yeah, sounds good," she smiled back. "See you then," she said before she walked away.

He waved goodbye before walking over to the table he'd shared with Suigetsu. "Guess what?" he said when he got back to the table.

"You have a date," the other answered. He knew he was right just by the way Kiba was acting. His entire demeanor had changed since before he left the table. It hurt to see Kiba so happy over someone else.

"How'd you know?" he smiled. "Was I that obvious?" He grinned as Suigetsu nodded.

Suigetsu didn't say anything else; instead he just started to eat. He didn't trust his voice not to show his true feelings. He knew if he said something about how happy he was for him, it wouldn't come out as sounding sincere.

**NS**

It was a nightmare date, that's the only way Kiba could describe it. Nothing was like he thought it would be. They were just too awkward on the date. It wasn't that they didn't have things to talk about, it was that it felt as if they were just friends out to dinner. They shared a good night kiss, but it felt awkward and Kiba found that he didn't even feel anything. He expected his heart to race and to feel butterflies, but there was none of that. It was weird because she was supposed to be his dream girl and yet a date with her was more like a nightmare.

"It was horrible," Kiba said as he explained the date to Naruto. They were in the brunette's room talking about the date.

"What do you mean horrible?" Naruto asked. He didn't understand how all of Kiba's dates seemed to be horrible.

"She's supposed to be my dream girl and yet I felt nothing. It was like I was out to dinner with a friend that walked home and kissed. It didn't even feel as if I were out on a date," Kiba tried to explain as he collapsed onto his bed.

Naruto laughed from the opposite bed, "How was the kiss?"

"The most awkward kiss I've ever experienced," Kiba answered. "What's wrong with me? Why do my dates never go right?" he sighed.

"Maybe you guys are just too good of friends," Naruto shrugged. "Or maybe your gay and don't realize it," he laughed, obviously joking.

Kiba was silent for a moment; he never considered the possibility of being gay. He knew that the blonde was just joking, but it might make sense why none of his dates with girls seemed to go right.

"Dude, I was kidding," Naruto said, making Kiba snap out of his thoughts. "I'm sure you just haven't found the right girl yet," he assured his friend.

**TBC…?**

**I didn't feel it was necessary to include the date between Hinata and Kiba, only because they both will end up talking about it therefore it shows their point of views on how the date went. **


	36. Kiss

**Long author's note: I just want to say thank you to all who have been reviewing, this is now my 3****rd**** most reviewed story…I don't think this one could beat my top two most reviewed at least in terms the ratio of reviews per a chapter**

**I'm going to be editing all of my stories once I'm done with this one, taking any songs, chapters that are just author's notes or lemons out of every story…rather it will be implied after I'm done and I'm going to fix any grammatical mistakes I can find in my stories…I really don't think it will change any of them that much…I'm only telling the readers this because if anyone wants to read them before I change them do so soon, as I may start before the story is done…I've already fixed a couple of one-shots, but as I said, it really doesn't make much of a difference and I'd rather suggest reading them when I'm done editing only because they will probably flow better and not have as many grammatical mistakes or story line errors…**

**I'm updating this now, only because I want to write today/tonight and not have to worry about posting the next chapter, also then it will seem as if there is less time between chapters…just a warning in advance, don't expect me to post on super bowl Sunday, my team is in the super bowl therefore instead of writing I'll be watching that….**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 36: Kiss**

Suigetsu and Sasuke were walking through campus after class. "I can't wait until this semester is over," the dark haired teen said.

"Me too, though I guess you have a better reason than I do," Suigetsu said, causing Sasuke to frown.

"Orochimaru will still find some way to be around next semester, he always does," Sasuke said. He knew that he probably shouldn't be so negative, but he couldn't help it because he knew it was true.

"You only have one more week to deal with him," Suigetsu said as he looked at his best friend. "He won't be in one of your classes next semester," he then added. "You said it yourself, there is no way for him to guest speak in one of those classes," the light hair teen pointed out.

"That doesn't mean he won't be on campus, we both know he will," Sasuke sighed.

"Then you have to just take this break to focus on finding a way to make it so he doesn't affect you," Suigetsu said. He knew it wouldn't be fun for Orochimaru if Sasuke weren't affected by what he did.

"That's easier said than done," Sasuke said. He'd been scared of the older man for so long that he wasn't sure how to make it so that he wouldn't affect him. He couldn't help that his body just froze every time that he saw the man.

**NS**

Hinata sat on Ino's bed as they talked. She was telling the blonde all about her date and how awkward it was. "It was so weird to be on a date with him, too weird," the girl said. "I wanted to try to give him a chance but it didn't work out. I wish it would have, then we'd at least be something," she frowned. "Now I don't know what we are," she looked down, wishing the whole thing had never happened.

"If it was as awkward as you say, I'm sure he'll feel the same way and just want to be your friend," Ino assured her. She wasn't sure it was right because people could easily perceive the same things very differently.

"I hope you're right," she said as she looked at her friend.

"Or maybe it was just weird because it was the first date with your best friend," she said, trying to make things better. "You know maybe you guys just need to get used to the fact that it's a date and not just two friends hanging out," she smiled, hoping that incase Kiba thought differently than Hinata, she might give him another chance rather than just breaking his heart.

"I felt nothing when we kissed," she frowned. "If I liked him then I should have felt something right?" the dark haired girl asked sadly.

Ino didn't answer; she didn't need to because they both knew the answer to that question. There was no doubt in either of their minds that that if there was no spark, there were no feelings.

**NS**

Kiba decided to meet up with Suigetsu after his afternoon class. He knew what would be the first topic they talked about, his date. He frowned as he thought about Hinata and everything that happened the previous night.

"Hey," Suigetsu said as he walked over to him. "So how was your date?" the light haired teen asked. He really didn't want to know how Kiba's dream date went, because it was probably amazing, but knew he should ask.

"Horrible," Kiba said, surprising the other teen. "I thought it would be perfect, but it wasn't. It was awkward and at the end I felt like I was kissing a friend, not someone I wanted to date," he explained.

"I'm sorry," Suigetsu said. He didn't know what else to say, he hadn't been prepared for Kiba to have a horrible date. He thought going out with his dream girl would mean having a dream date.

"I'm starting to think that Naruto's right," Kiba mumbled. He knew he hadn't had any luck with girls and he could appreciate when a guy was good looking, but he never thought he was gay.

"What do you mean?" Suigetsu asked. "I'm sure you just haven't found the right girl," he assured his friend, though he was highly confused by the brunette's statement.

Kiba looked at Suigetsu, he knew that the other teen was attractive. He also knew that he shouldn't think that about a guy. "You're a good friend, you'll help me test something right?" Kiba asked. He wasn't sure how his test would turn out, but he knew he had to do it.

"Sure," Suigetsu said, unsure of what the test would be. He had no idea what Kiba was thinking so he couldn't predict what he was going to do. Suddenly, Kiba kissed him. At first Suigetsu was shocked but then he let himself be kissed, and it wasn't just a peck on the lips kind of kiss. Kiba was full on kissing him, like he had wanted for a while now. For a moment he couldn't help but kiss him back, just to feel what it would be like. However, after a brief moment, Suigetsu realized what was going on and pushed him away. Kiba looked at him confused, but Suigetsu just said, "You're just hurt right now, that's all. You're confused and hurt and really shouldn't be kissing anyone." Suigetsu quickly grabbed his things and walked away, trying to hide his emotions.

**NS**

Suigetsu knew that Kiba wouldn't have been kissing him if it weren't for something that Naruto said. He was trying to calm his racing heart, but it was of no use. He couldn't help but replay that kiss in his mind and the rush of feelings it brought with it. He knew in the end his feelings were one-sided because in the end Kiba was still straight. He wondered briefly if his reaction showed his true feelings and he realized that he didn't really care. He knew for his sanity to remain in tact he had to get away. He couldn't torture himself by letting Kiba kiss him, just to say that he felt nothing.

**NS**

"I think I did something really stupid," Kiba said as he sat in Naruto's dorm, talking to the blonde. He had taken over Sasuke's bed, since the raven had left when Suigetsu text him.

"What'd you do?" Naruto asked. Usually Kiba didn't do anything stupid with out him present; therefore it made him worry a little bit.

"I tested your theory," he replied. He knew he was stupid for doing so therefore he needed some advice. Kiba didn't know why in that moment he decided to use Suigetsu to test the blonde's advice, it just happened.

"What theory?" Naruto asked, confused. He had never had some kind of theory for Kiba to test.

"That I might be gay," Kiba reminded him. The brunette didn't look at Naruto; instead he was starting to find the ground rather interesting.

"That was a joke," The blonde's eyes widened. "Who the hell did you test it on?" he was hoping it wasn't Sasuke; he knew that the raven would probably kill Kiba if it were. He thought that the brunette probably didn't kiss the raven, only because things didn't seem different between the two.

"Suigetsu," the brunette answered. He could see the look on the blonde's face at the answer and he felt even dumber because of his actions.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Naruto asked. He couldn't believe his friend could be so stupid.

"I don't know it just kind of happened," Kiba said as he ran his hand through his hair. "We were talking about Hinata and how bad the date was and then my body just kind of took over," the brunette explained, talking faster than necessary.

"What'd he do?" Naruto asked. He didn't know what advice to give his friend, but he still wanted to know the whole story.

Kiba looked embarrassed at the question, making Naruto all the more interested. "Well, at first he kissed me back and then he pushed me off. He said something about how I was hurt and confused and then he quickly walked away," he said. Kiba was still kind of confused as to what exactly had happened with Suigetsu. He didn't understand why he felt so comfortable kissing Suigetsu. He didn't understand why he didn't want it to stop.

"Do you think he likes you?" Naruto asked, trying to figure out Suigetsu's actions. "Or maybe you just freaked him out," the blonde continued. "You know it's not every day your friend kisses you randomly," he pointed out.

"I'm not sure," Kiba said. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling at that moment let alone what Suigetsu was feeling. "The weird thing is, I wasn't the one to pull away," the brunette admitted.

"So, are you gay?" The blonde asked. He had never known his friend to find guys attractive, but that didn't mean that Kiba just wasn't telling him.

"Honestly, I don't know," Kiba sighed, extremely confused.

**NS**

"You aren't going to believe what happened," Suigetsu said as he let Sasuke into his dorm room. He was trying to calm down about the whole situation with Kiba, but he couldn't, he knew he needed to talk to someone.

"Try me," Sasuke said as he sat down. He wasn't sure what could get Suigetsu so worked up.

"Kiba kissed me," Suigetsu said as he sat next to Sasuke.

The raven's eyes widened, he was not expecting that answer. "Well, maybe your crush isn't as one-sided as you thought," he said, not knowing any other explanation for it.

"No he only did it because he was confused," Suigetsu said as he got up and started pacing the room.

"Now you're making me confused," Sasuke said, realizing he wasn't getting the whole story.

"His and Hinata's date went bad so Naruto must have said something about him possibly being gay, because he said that he was going to test Naruto's theory and then he kissed me," Suigetsu explained, speaking rapidly.

Sasuke tried to process what Suigetsu was saying. "That dumbass," Sasuke mumbled, referring to Naruto. "Look, I'm sure it'll work out fine," he assured his friend.

"No it won't because now I don't know how to act around him," Suigetsu said as he stopped pacing.

Sasuke just sighed as he realized just how much he needed a break from school and the drama that came with it. "Just try not to think about it," Sasuke suggested. "Act as if nothing happened, because if he doesn't reciprocate your feelings then I know that you don't want to hear it," he then added, knowing like everything else, it was easier said than done. He couldn't help but think of himself and Naruto after he gave Suigetsu advice, he knew that pretended that nothing happened after they kissed and he was starting to wonder if that was the right thing to do.

**TBC…?**


	37. Separate Ways

**I've already started editing my other stories; all the one-shots are edited; now I'm working on the shorter of my chapter fics**

**Last chapter got the most reviews of the entire story, so thank you to the 22 who reviewed it is much appreciated**

**I decided to update this morning because I'm going to try to get a lot of chapters done today…**

**I would have posted yesterday morning but I had a seizure so I was really tired the entire day after school and I didn't get a chance to write or even go on my computer…**

**Someone in an earlier chapter said that they wanted to see more about Naruto's back-story this chapter gives you that**

**I would tell you who the request is from but I can't even remotely remember what chapter it was fun and I really don't feel like looking it up…whoever it was, if you want to review letting me know, I will give you credit for the idea in the next chapter**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review **

**Chapter 37: Separate ways**

It was that time of the year: finals. It was what they had been studying for the entire week prior. The only good part about finals was that it meant it was the end of the semester.

Sasuke walked out of his business class breathing a sigh of relief. He let himself smile that the class was finally over. _'Finally,'_ was all that he could think as he walked down the hall.

"Wait up Sasuke," Suigetsu called as he walked out of the classroom. He had finished his test shortly after the raven and so he rushed to catch up to him. "It's over," the light haired teen said with a smile.

"For now," Sasuke said. He had relaxed knowing that the class was over, but that didn't mean that he thought Orochimaru would just disappear after the semester.

"We have to hang out during break," Suigetsu said as they walked down the hall. He knew that his place wasn't that far from Naruto's therefore it would be easy for them to hang out.

"Yeah, but first I have to find a way to get out of staying with the idiot," Sasuke said. He wasn't sure he could go all break with Naruto, considering that would probably mean having no place to escape from the blonde. With Kiba busy, he knew the blonde would want to spend time together.

"He's not that bad," Suigetsu chuckled. "Plus I know you see him as a friend so don't lie to me," he added with a slightly teasing tone.

"Oh shut up," Sasuke said as he rolled his eyes. He knew that Suigetsu was right; he did see the blonde as a friend, a friend who confused him a lot. Naruto was one of the few people who seemed to be easy for him to forgive and also could make him do things that were out of his comfort zone.

"In fact, I think you like him," Suigetsu smirked. He knew that would get a reaction from the raven. It would probably be a funny reaction if he knew the raven; he knew he'd get a reaction that was filled with much denial.

Sasuke looked away, blushing a little. He didn't like how the topic of the blonde and the possibility of a crush, could make him blush as if he were a girl in love. "I don't like that moron. Idiot isn't my type," the raven huffed.

"Who said that I meant it like that? I just said that you liked him, I could have meant as a friend," the other teen chuckled. "It was your mind that went there," he smiled and Sasuke just rolled his eyes.

"We both know how you meant it," the raven said. "The way you said it was not saying that you think I like him as only a friend," Sasuke glared, trying to ignore the knowing look Suigetsu was giving him.

"Well you do forgive him pretty easily," Suigetsu pointed out. "And on that camping trip he got you to jump in leaves, that was a sight I really never expected to see," he said with a shrug. Sasuke didn't respond, instead he settled with glaring at his best friend. "You should know by now that your glare doesn't affect me," Suigetsu said with a little laugh.

**NS**

Sasuke and Suigetsu walked to Sasuke's dorm only for the raven to say, "I'm going to try to take a nap, so I'll see you later.

"Good luck, if Naruto's there you know you won't get any sleep," Suigetsu said with a laugh. "I doubt he'll shut up long enough for you to even relax," he said, both of them knowing it was true.

Sasuke just sighed and said, "Yeah I know, but one can hope." Sasuke walked into his room, leaving the light haired teen alone.

Suigetsu sighed as he started to walk towards his own room. As he walked, he saw Kiba walking towards him to go to Naruto and Sasuke's room. He cursed to himself, knowing a conversation between them could be awkward.

"Hey," Kiba said awkwardly. He wasn't sure what to say to Suigetsu ever since he kissed him. They had been avoiding each other the past week but at that point they couldn't.

"Uh, hi," Suigetsu said as they stood in the middle of the hallway. He didn't know what else to say. The kiss between them seemed to change everything. They used to hang out practically every day, but the past week they had hardly said a word to each other. They both knew that they needed to talk about it and just get it over with, but neither of them seemed to want to start that conversation.

"So, how have your exams been?" Kiba asked lamely. He was trying to make things less awkward but it wasn't really working. He didn't really want to bring up the kiss, he wasn't even sure what he felt after it.

"Good," Suigetsu answered. "What about yours?" he then asked. He was just wishing that the conversation would be over. At that point he wanted to be anywhere but talking with Kiba awkwardly.

"Pretty good," Kiba shrugged. He could tell that Suigetsu was uncomfortable and he knew it was his own fault.

"Well, I've got to go," Suigetsu said, just trying to get away from the conversation. They both knew that the light haired teen didn't have to get anywhere in a hurry, he just didn't want to talk at that point.

"Oh, right, I'll see you around," Kiba said as he watched the other walk away. He frowned as he made his way to see Naruto.

**NS**

Naruto and Sasuke were too busy arguing to notice that Kiba had walked in. Naruto had wanted to talk about winter break, which is what started the small fight. "I think I'm just going to stay in student housing," Sasuke had said.

"I thought you we agreed you'd stay with me," Naruto said, confused. He didn't understand why Sasuke would just change his mind. Even more so, he didn't understand why the raven would rather stay in student housing by himself rather than stay with a friend. "Come on Sasuke, why won't you just accept my offer?" Naruto asked. "Is it so hard to just say yes Naruto I'll stay with you, thank you?" the blonde said. Sasuke had just agreed to it a few weeks ago, he couldn't imagine what he'd done to make him change his mind. "I mean did I do something to make you mad?" he asked.

"No you didn't'," Sasuke responded as he shook his head. He looked at how the blonde was staring at him. "Fine, I'll stay with you," he gave in.

"Good, it'll be fun," Naruto said with a smile. "Now just say thank you Naruto," he said with a laugh, knowing the raven wouldn't.

"Don't push it," Sasuke glared, causing the blonde to just smile at him. He knew the blonde was just pushing his buttons at that point.

Kiba just watched the two of them, feeling that it was obvious that they liked each other. They had been so focused on each other that they didn't even notice him, which indicated to him that they liked each other a lot more than they'd like to admit. He just wondered how neither of them could see it. "Hey guys," he finally said, laughing at the surprised looks on their faces.

"How'd you get in so quietly?" Naruto asked. He wondered how he didn't hear the door open and close, it wasn't like him. He knew sometimes he was oblivious, but he wasn't that oblivious as to not notice someone comes into a room.

"I was no quieter than normal," Kiba shrugged. "You two were just too busy to notice me," he added with a small smirk. Kiba just wondered what would happen when they were stuck together all break with very few choices of other people to hang out with. Other than Suigetsu, most of the people staying home for break were people Sasuke didn't really talk to and Naruto seemed to prefer hanging out with the dark haired teen.

**NS**

Once they all said their goodbyes for the break, they went their separate ways. Kiba arrived at home only to be told to get packed for their family vacation. As he packed, he couldn't help but think about Suigetsu. He'd found himself thinking a lot about him ever since the kiss had happened. He wondered why he didn't pull away first. 

'_It was only to test a theory, right? I don't actually like Suigetsu. We're great friends and he's fun to be around, but that's all. It has to be all, right? But then why didn't it feel weird to kiss him? It almost felt natural,'_ Kiba thought as he packed. He was trying to figure out his feelings, but thinking didn't seem to help. He found himself more confused than before. He couldn't help but feel as if he were in denial; he just didn't want to admit he might have feelings for Suigetsu.

**NS**

"Okay, I'm going to follow you in my car," Sasuke said as he packed his things into his car. He knew he had to have his own car, even if they worked together and would hang out together. He wasn't going to not have a way to escape.

"Alright," Naruto smiled. "No skipping out on me, I'll find you," the blond joked, making Sasuke roll his eyes.

"Shut up moron," Sasuke said. His voice wasn't harsh as he said it, making the blonde know he wasn't really annoyed with him.

Once they arrived at the blonde's house, Naruto showed Sasuke which room he'd be staying in. "The one on the left is my room, the guest room is the one on the right. You can put your stuff in there. Kyuubi's room is down the hall over there, but I don't know how much he'll be home," the blonde said as he pointed to where everything was. "As you see this is the living room and the kitchen is right there," he pointed to the room next to the living room.

"Okay, thanks," Sasuke said unsure of what else to say. It was true that they had been roommates all semester, but somehow staying at Naruto's house was different. When they were roommates he could deny that they were friends, however, staying at Naruto's house meant that they had crossed the line into friendship. He knew that he started seeing Naruto differently long before, but that that point he had to admit it, they both knew Sasuke wouldn't just stay at anyone's house.

Naruto jut nodded as he asked, "Are you hungry?" He walked toward the kitchen, "Go put your stuff down and I'll make us something to eat.

Sasuke quickly put his stuff down in the room he'd be staying in before he walked into the kitchen. "I don't think ramen really counts as making something," Sasuke chuckled. "It doesn't really take much effort," he pointed out.

"I can make things other than ramen thank you very much," Naruto said. He knew that Sasuke was yet again messing with him, but he felt the need to defend himself.

"Without burning your house down?" Sasuke asked, somewhat skeptically. He'd never thought of Naruto as being able to cook, the guy ate ramen so often that it seemed like that was all he ate or knew how to make.

"Incase you've forgotten, my parent's weren't exactly around for my life. I had to learn to cook," Naruto said. His voice wasn't harsh, just a little sad.

Sasuke just looked at the ground. Even if they weren't best of friends in high school, he knew the blonde grew up with no parents; it was common knowledge to everyone in their graduating class. He should have figured that he'd know how to cook something, "What about your brother? He doesn't cook?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto just laughed, "Yeah right. Our many foster parents used to cook when we were younger, but Kyuubi kept scaring them away. By the time they stopped bothering with foster parents for us, I had met Iruka. He was like a pseudo father without actually being there all the time. He was the one who taught me how to cook," Naruto said as he made them something to cook. "Now that we're older he only checks up on us every now and then," the blonde said with a small smile.

Sasuke had only thought of his life as screwed up, he hadn't even remembered that Naruto hadn't the best childhood either. Naruto acted so normal that it was easy to forget he'd grown up with no real parents.

"So what happened to your parents?" Sasuke asked. He didn't even expect the blonde to answer, as he had never answered any of Naruto's questions about his life.

"They both died on the day I was born. My mother died in child birth and my brother won't tell me about what happened to my father," Naruto said with a sigh. "I think that he blames himself, he's always so quiet when I try to bring it up."

Sasuke remained silent, as he thought about what happened. He'd always known that the blonde's parents were dead, but he never knew that Naruto had never met either of them.

Naruto saw the look on Sasuke's face and quickly smiled and said, "It's fine, I've learned to stay positive. I had to learn things for myself, it's made me a stronger person." He placed a plate of food in front of Sasuke as he said, "Eat up, it's been along day we should eat and get some rest."

Sasuke just nodded as they started to eat. Nothing else was said between them that night, but Sasuke knew that he had a better understanding of Naruto after that night.

**TBC…?**


	38. Break Begins

**Just so everyone knows, I'm not going to be making them celebrate any winter holidays except for New Years…too many people celebrate different holidays so I didn't want to bother…Everyone celebrates New Years though…I know in the southern hemisphere it is summer during New Years, but I'm making it winter for many reasons, the main one being that where I am it's winter and besides the city, I never did say where they lived**

**I just want to thank all of the readers who are reviewing…if you do an anonymous review, I can't really respond because I'm not going to take the time to do it at the end of each chapter, so if you want a response don't do that kind of review…I do try to reply to everyone who reviews, it just depends on where I am when I get the review, I can't reply easily on my phone **

**This is a short chapter…**

**Chapter 38: Break Begins**

Neji and Hinata were at the Hyuuga family retreat; the family always went somewhere warm for the winter break. Currently they were sitting on a beach, with no friends around so they had to end up hanging out with the family. Neji looked around to see that they were out of earshot from the rest of the family. "Hinata can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Of course, you can ask me anything," Hinata smiled. She wondered what was on her cousin's mind; she noticed he had been distracted for the past few weeks.

"What do you think about homosexuality?" he asked. He knew that she was the most understanding of the family; therefore, the one to talk to about what was on his mind.

Hinata was surprised by the question, but she answered, "You can't help whom you love, whether it is a boy or girl doesn't matter." She saw him look down and she realized he'd obviously been having a battle with his feelings for a while. "Why did you want to know?" she asked.

He was about to answer, but Hanabi interrupted the conversation, saying, "Hey guys, what are you talking about?"

Neji just quickly answered, "Nothing important, school and stuff." He knew that he couldn't tell her or she'd blurt it out to everyone. He really didn't want Hiashi knowing that he might be gay.

"How boring," she said. She had a feeling that he was lying, but she didn't understand the reason he'd need to lie.

Hinata looked at Neji and frowned. She knew that he must have felt that the family wouldn't accept him being gay. He was probably right, but that was no reason to fake his feelings. She'd always accept him, but she knew that wasn't true for much of the family.

**NS**

Naruto and Sasuke didn't really know what to do since it was just the two of them in Naruto's house. The blonde looked over to Sasuke, who was reading on the couch, and he asked, "Do you want to watch TV?"

Sasuke closed his book and said, "Sure. Is there anything good on?"

Naruto sat next to the raven, after grabbing the controller he started to flip through the channels. They ended up watching a comedian that was on one of the movie channels. They got comfortable on the couch, sitting next to each other, but not too close. Each seat on the small couch reclined, making it more comfortable.

After an hour, the comedy special the boys had been watching was over. The two agreed to watch the movie that was on the channel after the special since neither of them had seen it. As the movie progressed, Naruto and Sasuke found themselves getting closer to one another. The act wasn't one that either of them noticed; it just seemed to happen as if it were the natural thing for them to do.

In the middle of the movie, Kyuubi walked into the house. After seeing the two on the couch, he said in a teasing tone, "You two look comfortable.

The raven quickly moved away from the blonde, causing Kyuubi to chuckle. Naruto just said, "We are watching a movie."

"Whatever you say," Kyuubi said with a smirk. "But it sure didn't look like that was going to be the case for very long," he shrugged as he walked into the kitchen.

"I'm going to go read," Sasuke said, quickly getting up from the couch.

Naruto just frowned as he asked, "What about the movie?" The blonde hated that Kyuubi had to tease him; he didn't understand why he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself. If he hadn't said anything, Naruto knew that Sasuke would still be sitting down, watching the movie.

"I'm tired," Sasuke said. He really just wanted to get away from Naruto. He wasn't sure what it was about the other boy that made him so confused. He wouldn't allow himself to believe that it was anything more than physical attraction, even if he had a feeling that he was lying to himself.

"Alright, well goodnight then," Naruto said. He didn't believe the raven, but he wasn't going to make things awkward. He just sighed as Sasuke walked away. The blonde wouldn't admit it, but he missed having the raven sit next to him.

After Sasuke's door closed, Kyuubi walked out of the kitchen. "Was I interrupting something?" he asked.

Naruto glared at his brother, "Just a movie. Why must you tease me like that? You made him uncomfortable."

"Why do you care?" Kyuubi said. "Do you like him as more than a friend?" the redhead asked. "Because it sure seems like you do. You're worried about his comfort and practically cuddling on the couch," he pointed out.

"No," Naruto said as he stood up, wanting to get away from the conversation. He would not allow Kyuubi to make him admit that he liked Sasuke. "He's just a friend," the blonde said as he started to walk toward his room.

"Yeah for now," Kyuubi chuckled. Naruto turned and glared at his older brother, who just gave him a knowing smile.

**NS**

Kiba and Choji sat in the lodge; the two of them had just gotten finished snow boarding, Kiba thought it'd get his mind his mind off of the recent events, but it didn't. The brunette looked around the lodge, trying to see if he found any of the girls truly attractive. He was being unusually quite, which made the other boy concerned.

"What's wrong?" Choji asked as he ate the chips he'd brought from his cabin.

"Nothing," Kiba answered, but he wasn't very convincing. He knew he couldn't tell Choji what was going on until he was sure. It wasn't that he thought the other boy would judge him; he just didn't want anyone to think he was gay if he wasn't

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You've been quiet, it's weird. It's almost as weird as Naruto not talking," Choji explained.

"I just need to find a girl to hook up with," the brunette sighed. "You know to get my mind off of what happened with Hinata." It wasn't true that he wanted to get his mind of Hinata; it was that he wanted to get his mind off of Suigetsu. The fact that he was thinking about Suigetsu just confused him.

Choji just nodded, as he looked around the lodge for girls their age. "What about her?" he asked as he pointed to a pretty blonde who had just walked in.

Kiba looked at her; there was no denying that she was attractive. The problem was that he didn't find himself feeling attracted to her. "She's okay," he shrugged.

"Okay? She's hot," Choji said as he looked at his best friend as if he were crazy. He continued to stare at his friend as he said, "Just go introduce yourself."

Kiba just sighed; knowing that going over to the girls would do no good. "Fine," he said as he got up ands stared to walked toward the girl, he figured id didn't hurt to try.

They talked for a few minutes. She was being flirty, but he still found no real attraction toward her. He knew any other straight guy would be completely interested. He just wasn't interested and she could tell.

Rather than continuing to flirt with him, the girl just said, "Well it was nice meeting you, but I've got to go." She didn't offer her number and he didn't ask for it. In fact, he didn't even ask her for her name. She wondered why he'd even walk over to her if he weren't interested in the first place.

Kiba walked back over to Choji and said, "She isn't my type." He sighed, having a feeling that it was all because of what happened with Suigetsu. He'd never thought that he might be gay until he kissed his light haired friend. He just hoped that his actions didn't ruin their friendship.

The rest of the night, Kiba was lost in his thoughts as Choji continued to talk about the girl and how crazy Kiba was to not take the opportunity.

**TBC…?**


	39. Snow

**This would have been up faster, but I've been trying to write…I just wrote what I think will be a lot of people's favorite chapter, but it's still a few chapters away as it's chapter 45…**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review….**

**Chapter 39: Snow**

Ino walked out of the flower shop that she worked at. It had been a long day and she was just ready to get home. As she was walking out she saw Sai walking towards her.

"Hey pretty lady," he said with a smile.

"Hey Sai," she smiled as she started walking toward her house. She liked talking to Sai because every time he greeted her he made her feel special, unlike Shikamaru. He walked wither, obviously wanting to talk. "What's up?" she asked.

The question always made him want to answer by telling what was above the,, but he had learned long ago that the question had nothing to do with that. "Well, I was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner with me."

She smiled at him, seeing that his social skills seemed to be getting better. "Sure," she said, seeing nothing wrong with going to dinner with a friend.

"I mean as a, um, date," he said. He had never really been on a date, so he wasn't really sure how to ask. He observed his peers to understand it better, however, it seemed as if all of them asked in different ways.

Ino was shocked at first; she had just been thinking that she might like the boy not that long before the conversation. "Sure," she smiled again. She wasn't sure how Sakura would react, but part of her was staring not to care. She figured she wouldn't tell her best friend unless they became something serious.

**NS**

Sakura sat at the park with her family. Most were playing some kind of family bonding game, but she didn't participate because she hadn't wanted to be there in the first place. It was cold and starting to snow, therefore she was miserable being out at the park.

"My beautiful Sakura, it's such a pleasure to see you today," an enthusiastic voice said from behind her. She recognized the voice; it belonged to none other than Lee. The boy was obsessed with her and he couldn't take a hint.

"Hello Lee," Sakura sighed. Not only did she have to spend the day in the cold with her family, it seemed she was destined to have Lee around. She tended to try to ignore him, not wanting to give Lee the wrong idea.

"What brings you here on this beautiful day?" he asked. He was hoping she would actually talk to him, though it didn't seem like it would happen.

"It is not a beautiful day," Sakura said as she shivered. "I'm here with my family," she answered his question. She only gave short answers, hoping he'd get the hint and leave.

"Is that them building a snowman? How youthful," he smiled. He was still trying to make conversation.

"Yeah," she said. Sakura thought about walking away, but she figured he would just follow her. She knew she had to have an excuse if she were going to get away.

"Why are you not helping them?" he asked. He figured if she were there with her family then she should be spending it with them.

"You're right, I should go join them," Sakura said as she stood up. "See you around," she said as she walked toward her family. Sakura figured it was a good excuse to get away. She'd rather build a snowman with her family than spending it with Lee. He was nice, but he just wasn't her type. She liked guys like Sasuke or Sai, the dark hair and dark eyes not the green wearing, hyperactive Lee.

"Whom were you talking to Sakura?" her mother asked. She was always interested in knowing when her little girl had a boy that was interested in her.

"Lee," she answered. She really didn't want to talk to her about him, because she knew that her mother might just try to get her with the boy.

"Oh that nice boy from high school?" she asked. She had met Lee once when they went to open house in Sakura's first year. She remembered that he was a nice boy who seemed infatuated with her daughter.

"Yeah, that Lee," she said in a bored tone. She'd rather talk about anything but Lee.

"I remember him, he's a nice boy," she smiled. "If I remember correctly he was quite in love with you," she added.

"He still is," she said. Sakura started to help build the snowman, hoping that would distract her mother.

Her efforts were in vain, as her mother didn't drop the subject. "He'd be good for you," her mother said. "You need a nice boy," she said with a smile. She hoped that her daughter would at least consider the boy, but the look on Sakura's face told her that she wouldn't.

"No he wouldn't," she said as she shook her head. "He's not my type at all. I mean have you seen what he wears? No one needs to wear that much green or that tight of clothes," Sakura said, obviously disgusted.

"Love isn't all about looks," her mother said. "It's about having chemistry with someone. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince," she continued. "You never know who that prince will be, so you should give everyone a chance," she added.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," Sakura said. She knew that she really wouldn't, give Lee a chance. It was better to let her mother think she might give him a chance rather than letting the conversation go on.

**NS**

"Come on, you have to come out in the snow," Naruto said as he grabbed Sasuke's beanie and put it on the raven.

Sasuke looked at the blonde, the raven was not amused. He didn't complain about how close they were standing, but rather about the fact that Naruto wanted him to go out in the cold. "I'm not going out in the cold," Sasuke said.

"Oh yes you are," Naruto said. "It'll be fun, we can build snowmen and have a snowball fight," the blonde said happily.

"Have I told you before that you're like a child?" Sasuke asked. "Because you are," he added.

Naruto just smiled at him, "I take that as a complement. I'd rather be a child than act twenty years older than I am." He just smiled at the raven, knowing sooner or later he'd get him out into the snow.

"I do not act like I'm old," Sasuke argued. "Just because I don't act like a child doesn't mean I act old. I act my age," he then added.

"No, you act old," said Naruto. He knew if he kept it up, he'd have Sasuke outside in no time.

"I do not," Sasuke argued. He didn't like the fact that Naruto was implying he was acting much older than he needed to.

"Then prove it," Naruto said as he started walking toward the door.

Sasuke was silent for a moment, thinking about what the blonde said. He sighed and grabbed his jacket, "Fine." The raven followed Naruto out the door and the blonde was grinning the entire time.

"Help me build a snowman," Naruto smiled as he started to gather snow to make a snowman.

"Not if my life depended on it," Sasuke said as he watched the blonde.

Naruto just smirked and shrugged, "Okay, then."

Sasuke became suspicious, he knew better than to trust when the blonde gave up that easily. Before he could say anything about it, a snowball hit him in the chest.

"Take that," the blonde smirked. He knew that would get the raven going; Sasuke wouldn't just let himself get beat by Naruto.

"You're on," Sasuke said as he picked up some snow and started to make a snowball. The blonde ran, but Sasuke still hit him.

The battle between the two of them lasted at least a half an hour. "Ready to give up?" Naruto asked as he threw yet another snowball at Sasuke.

"Nope," Sasuke smirked. "Why are you getting tired?" he asked, obviously teasing the blonde.

"Never," Naruto said. "I was just thinking you might be exhausted, considering how many times I've hit you with a snowball," the blonde gave as an excuse.

"You just want to end the game while you're one ahead," Sasuke said confidently.

The blonde rolled his eyes, "I was just trying to save you from humiliation." They both were exhausted, but neither would admit it.

"How nice of you," Sasuke rolled his eyes. He knew it was an excuse to stop the game. "How about I save _you_ the humiliation and we go inside," Sasuke suggested.

"As if you'd win," Naruto said with a laugh as he followed Sasuke in.

"I guess we'll never," Sasuke's sentence was cut off as he started to slip on some ice on the walkway to Naruto's house. Before Sasuke could hit the ground, Naruto caught him. The raven let out a deep breath, happy not to hit the ground. He stood up and turned to the blonde, "Uh, thanks."

The two were standing close together as they looked at each other. Naruto felt the urge to kiss the raven, but forced himself to resist. He didn't know how Sasuke would feel if he kissed him. He was starting to believe that he was more than just physically attracted to Sasuke. The blonde didn't want to accept that he might have a crush on the raven, but it was getting to the point that it was difficult to deny it. "We should go inside," Naruto said. He knew if they stayed in position any longer, he'd kiss the raven.

Sasuke snapped out of his trance like state. He hadn't even realized he had been silently staring at the blonde for the past minute or so. The raven didn't want to like the blonde, but the fact that his heart was beating rapidly was hard to ignore. "Yeah," he said.

"Be careful on the ice," Naruto said, half serious and half teasing the raven.

"Oh shut up," Sasuke said as he carefully made his way into Naruto's house.

"What? I just don't want you to get hurt, I'm sure you'd be a huge pain in the ass if you did," the blonde chuckled as he followed the raven into the house.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Sasuke asked with a small smile. He didn't take Naruto's words seriously; he knew the blonde was just teasing him.

"Doesn't mean that I have to listen to what you say," Naruto said with a shrug. Sasuke just rolled his eyes as he lightly slapped the blonde in the back of his head. "Hey that hurt," Naruto whined.

"Don't lie, we both know it didn't," Sasuke said as he shook his head. "Even if it did, that's what you get for not listening to me," he smirked. Their words were more teasing than serious. There was no denying that they were friends at that point and they both knew it.

**TBC…?**


	40. Mountains

**This is a long chapter, at least for me it is…**

**I reposted a poll on my profile incase I do decide to continue writing, what would be my next story…I've added some options to it**

**I'm almost completely done writing this story; I'm writing chapter 49 right now and there are only 56 chapters, so less than 10 to write…**

**Anyone who's read To Warm The Coldest of Hearts knows that after so many reviews I do a one-shot for the reviewers…once this reaches 500 I'll happily write a one-shot of the reviewers choice…I don't really feel like thinking of ideas because after writing three chapters today I'm not in the mood to think…but if some people want to request something I'll put the summaries up next chapter and see which one people like best…**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review…**

**Chapter 40: The Mountains **

After many hours of convincing, Naruto finally got Sasuke to agree to take off work and go to the mountains for a few days. "Kiba better have heating up there," Sasuke mumbled as he packed.

"Don't worry they do," Naruto said from the doorway, causing the raven to jump a little. "Did I scare you?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"You wish," Sasuke rolled his eyes. He was hoping the upcoming encounter with snow would have better results than the last. He didn't really want to be that close to the blonde again, it confused him.

"Just cheer up, it'll be fun," Naruto smiled.

"Please don't say that," Sasuke said, "It seems as if every time you, things are never fun," he sighed. He wouldn't admit that some of the things the blonde suggested were fun, even if he knew deep down he thought they were.

"Well, it will be, I'm making Suigetsu come so it'll be the four of us hanging out. What's more fun than that?" the blonde responded. He was going to make Sasuke have fun whether he wanted to or not.

"You realize that things between Kiba and Suigetsu aren't exactly that great right now," the raven pointed out. He sighed again as he said, "You're really stupid sometimes.

"Yeah, I know, but this will be a great opportunity for them to make up," Naruto explained. "It might be the only way to force them to make up," he added, as to make his thinking make more sense.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked as he looked at the blonde skeptically. He thought the trip would just be awkward having both of them there, not force them to make up.

"The house only has one guest broom, so one person will have to share Kiba's room," Naruto said, feeling as if his plan was brilliant. "You'll room with me and they'll be stuck together."

"This better work," the raven said. "If it doesn't and they make it awkward the entire time, I blame you."

**NS**

Suigetsu had resisted getting in the car until he was practically pushed in. Sasuke had once again taken the front seat, leaving the light haired teen in the back, alone. Suigetsu practically pleaded the entire way every two minutes by saying, "Please don't make me go." He would also say, "We can still turn around." He didn't really think it'd make the blonde turn around, but he figured it was worth a shot.

"Nope, we're already on our way," Naruto would respond.

Sasuke stayed quiet, trying to ignore the two. He resisted telling his best friend about Naruto's plan. He hoped in the long run it'd work out. If it didn't the entire ride back would be equally annoying.

**NS**

They met Kiba in the lodge after swinging by the cabin to drop off their things. Kiba's mother had let them in and to put all their things in the guest room for the time being.

When they walked into the lodge, the boys saw Choji and Kiba talking. "Hey guys," Naruto greeted as they walked up to their two friends.

Kiba looked at Suigetsu and once again found that he was confuse. "Hey," the brunette said, trying to act like his normal self.

"So, what have you been up to?" the blonde asked as they all sat down. Naruto sat between Kiba and Sasuke, the blonde didn't realize it but he'd been sitting close to the raven frequently.

"Kiba tried to find a girl to hook up but failed miserably," Choji said. Even after about a week, he still wouldn't drop the subject. He still couldn't believe that Kiba didn't even really try to hook up with the girl; he just let her walk away.

Kiba's eyes met Suigetsu's for a brief moment. He wondered what the light haired teen was thinking. He was surprised that Suigetsu even came. "She just wasn't my type," Kiba shrugged, still looking at Suigetsu, who had stopped staring back at him.

"Since when is hot girl not your type?" Choji asked. He was staring to get concerned. Usually Kiba would at least try to flirt with a few girls during vacation, but he hadn't even really tried the entire time since they'd arrived.

"I just don't want to talk about it," Kiba growled. He was staring to get annoyed by Choji's questions, mostly because he was confused himself.

Naruto looked at the brunette surprised. He figured that the whole Suigetsu thing was only because of the bad date. He never expected to see Kiba so confused as to make him stop flirting. The blonde was staring to wonder if Kiba really did have feelings for the other teen.

Choji looked at Kiba, a little bit shocked at his friend's reaction. He thought it'd be best that he didn't bring it up again. "What have you guys been up to?" Choji asked as he looked at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Work and hanging out. I did get Sasuke to have a snowball fight though," the blonde grinned. He always loved when he was able to get the raven to do things out of his comfort zone. He loved the small smile Sasuke would do sometimes, thinking that he wouldn't notice it.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes, "It was more like retaliation. You knew if you started it then I'd have to get you back."

Suigetsu gave a small smile, he was happy to see Naruto and Sasuke getting along. The smile didn't last though, as he looked at Kiba. The brunette was confused him. One minute he was his straight friend and the next he had kissed him. It was utterly confusing and made him not want to interact with the other boy.

"What are we going to do today?" the blonde asked as he looked at his friends.

"We were planning on maybe snowboarding," Kiba answered. He wasn't sure what would come of his friends' visit but he hoped to try mending things with Suigetsu.

"Sounds fun," Naruto said happily. He and Kiba had been snowboarding a lot because he always came to visit Kiba every winter.

Sasuke looked at his friends, embarrassed to say anything. "I haven't been snowboarding since I was eight and I wasn't that great at it back then," he said, not wanting to make an idiot of himself on the slopes. The last time he tried snowboarding was before his parents died, Itachi knew how to snowboard so naturally Sasuke wanted to learn as well. He never got a chance to get very good at it, as once his parents died he and his brother stopped going to the mountains.

"I can teach you. I'm sure you'll remember how in no time," Naruto grinned. He then smirked as he added, "I'm surprised that I actually do something better than you."

Sasuke smirked back as he said, "I'm a fast learner, I'm sure it won't be long until I'm better at it than you." He knew he was good at copying what other people could do and so he figured snowboarding would be the same thing.

"Well I'm going down the regular slopes," Kiba said, turning to Choji and expecting him to say the same.

"I think that I'm going to stay here," Choji said. "I'm a little worn out from going this morning," he explained.

"I'm sure Suigetsu will go with you," Naruto smiled. "After all you shouldn't go alone," the blonde pointed out. He was hoping some alone time would let the two make up.

Suigetsu took a deep breath, trying to forget about their kiss. "I guess I can go," he answered. He wasn't sure if it was the right answer, but it just came out of his mouth. He knew sooner or later he'd have to face the brunette it was probably best to do it and get it over with. That way they could see if they could go back to being friends or if they should just give up the friendship.

**NS**

Suigetsu and Kiba sat on the ski lift in awkward silence. Neither was really sure what to say toe ach other. They both wanted to say something, but didn't want to make it more awkward than it already was.

"So," Kiba said trying to break the silence. "It's pretty nice out, don't you think?" he asked, not sure what to say. It seemed so cliché to talk about the weather, but now he understood why people did it. He found it was the only way he knew to break the ice.

"Uh, yeah," Suigetsu answered. He couldn't help but feel that the awkwardness would never end.

"It'll be a fun day," the brunette said. He was trying to think of something that would start a conversation. He couldn't say what he was really thinking, that'd make it even more awkward.

"Yeah, I guess," the light haired teen responded. He was convinced that the day wouldn't be fun instead it'd be awkward. Neither of them knew what to say to make it less awkward, so Suigetsu figured that he'd just make it so they talked about it, after all nothing could be worse than just sitting there unsure if they could still be friends. "Can we just stop this awkwardness?" Suigetsu asked. He found himself wanting to be anywhere other than the ski lift at that point. "I don't know how what we can do to make it normal again, but can we just talk about it?" he asked.

The brunette sighed, "I don't really know either, but I do want it to stop." Kiba looked at the other boy as he said, "I'm sorry that I kissed you. I didn't mean for this to happen." Deep down he wasn't really sorry because it made him start questioning his sexuality and he realized he liked kissing Suigetsu a lot more than he liked kissing any of the girls he had kissed.

"What did you expect to happen?" Suigetsu asked. "Kissing a friend isn't just something most people do every day," he pointed out that it was the brunette's fault.

"I know," the brunette said as he looked at his lap. "I'm not really sure what I was thinking," he admitted.

"You were confused," Suigetsu said. He knew it'd be easy for him to forget about it if he didn't have a crush on his friend. He couldn't really be mad at him for being confused; he just wished he'd had more warning when it happened.

"I know, it was wrong of me to use you like that," Kiba said. "I'm sorry," he added as he looked at Suigetsu.

"I know," the other teen said. Suigetsu looked at Kiba as he continued, "Le's just not think about it and have fun today." He could tell how much Kiba just wanted to go back to being friends and he couldn't deny that he missed being friends as well. He knew it'd be difficult to not think about it, but he knew he could always pretend as if everything was at least normal.

**NS**

Naruto couldn't help but find it funny watching Sasuke attempt to snowboard. He'd laugh even though he knew it'd piss Sasuke off. "I thought you were going to be better at it than me," he chuckled.

"Shut up," Sasuke responded. "You're supposed to be helping me, not laughing, so stop being an asshole and help me," Sasuke said, highly annoyed as he sat in the snow.

"Sorry princess," Naruto said, earning him a glare from the raven. He just smiled back at him as he went over to help the other boy get up.

"Call me princess again and I'll kill you," Sasuke warned. They both knew it was an empty threat and that he was just annoyed that the blonde was actually better at something than he was. "Let's just go back to the lodge, I don't like snowboarding," he said.

"I'm sorry, would you rather go sledding with the kids over there?" Naruto asked, teasing the dark haired boy.

"No, I hate snow," Sasuke said stubbornly. He was cold and annoyed, he didn't find snowboarding fun at all.

"You haven't even been trying for that long and you're going to give up?" Naruto asked. "I thought you never gave up," he added, trying to provoke Sasuke into trying again.

"I'm not giving up, I'm just done being miserable," Sasuke said.

"Whatever you say," Naruto rolled his eyes at the excuses the raven was giving him.

Sasuke unclipped himself from the snowboard before getting it off his feet and picking it up. "Do whatever you want, I'm going back to the lodge," Sasuke mumbled as he started to walk away.

Naruto just sighed and unclipped himself from his snowboard as well. He grabbed the snowboard and followed the dark haired teen. He thought about joining Suigetsu and Kiba but as he looked at Sasuke, he decided that he really didn't want to.

**NS**

After much fighting over the room situation, Naruto got his way and he and Sasuke were staying in the guest room, which had two twin size beds while Suigetsu had to sleep on a blow up mattress in Kiba's room. That night, Naruto and Sasuke were talking before going to bed. It was warm enough in the house that they hadn't turned on the fireplace, which every room had. "Today was fun," Naruto smiled. "Even if you didn't learn to snowboard," he added with a small laugh.

"Shut up moron," Sasuke said as he lay down. He'd felt comfortable because he once again brought his nightlight, which Naruto didn't even say anything about. Before he could say anything else, all of the lights went out. He felt as if he were going to star hyperventilating as the fear started to take a hold of his body.

Naruto tried to turn on the light switch, rather than the light on the nightstand but it didn't go on. The blonde turned to Sasuke, "It looks like the power is out."

**TBC…?**


	41. Lights Out

**As always I own nothing**

**I tried to make this chapter flow better while editing it, but I'm not sure I did that great of a job at doing so…**

**I've been surprised at how many people have been reviewing, I wasn't sure people were going to like this story, so I'm glad that people are**

**This story will pick up a lot after this chapter, for all of the characters…only about 15 more chapters to go after this so things will start to wrap up soon…I'm currently working on chapter 49, so I only have 7 more chapters to write after that…once I get the writing finished, my updates will probably start happening every day again, as I'll only have to edit and post it**

**Chapter 41: Lights Out**

Suigetsu was about to go to sleep when the power went out. "Shit," he said as he got up. He felt that he needed to get to Sasuke, knowing that the raven would need to be calmed down.

Kiba walked over to the fire place, lighting a match and throwing it in to make sure the room stayed warm "Where are you going?" the brunette asked.

"I need to talk to Sasuke," he said sounding as if it were an emergency. He felt as if Naruto wouldn't know what to do when Sasuke started freaking out, mainly because the blonde wouldn't know why he was freaking out.

"No," Kiba said. "The power went out, so we need to stay here by the fireplace. It gets cold pretty fast if you aren't by one," he explained.

"They have one in their room too," Suigetsu tried to reason, figuring that Kiba would let him go. He hoped it was a good enough response that Kiba wouldn't care. In fact, he didn't know why the brunette would care, they may be friends but that didn't mean he wouldn't want him to go see his other friend.

"Yes they do, therefore they'll be fine," Kiba said. "Trust me, the power goes out pretty much once a year, my parents said if it happens then to just stay in the room while they try to fix the problem," he explained.

"You don't understand," Suigetsu said. He couldn't tell him the reason; he just knew he had to find a way to get to Sasuke.

"Then please enlighten me," Kiba said. When the other teen remained silent Kiba said, "It's not as if he's alone." His words made it clear that he wasn't going to change his mind. "He'll be fine," assured the brunette. He was staring to think that Sasuke was afraid of the dark since Suigetsu had to get to him every time the lights went out.

**NS**

Sasuke had started to hyperventilate. "Start the dam fire," he said, obviously scared.

"I can't find any matches or a lighter," Naruto said calmly as he looked in the all of the drawers in the room, which was hard to do in the dark. The blond was staring to realize that Sasuke was afraid of the dark; it would explain both his reaction and the nightlight. "Sasuke, you need to calm down," Naruto said, still remaining calm as he turned toward the other boy.

"Just shut up," Sasuke said as he curled up in a ball on his bed.

Naruto felt the need to comfort the raven; he wanted to help Sasuke calm down. He couldn't help but act on his impulses as he looked at Sasuke, the blonde walked over to where Sasuke was curled up and he wrapped his arms around the raven. He was surprised when the other boy accepted what he was doing and turned toward the blonde, rather than just pushing him away.

Sasuke didn't say anything he just continued to hyperventilate. The blonde continued to try to comfort the raven. After a little while, he managed to calm him down a little bit, but he could tell that Sasuke was still scared.

There was a knock on the door, followed by Kiba's father saying, "I brought you guys some matches." The older man knew there were no matches in the guest room, as they usually didn't have many guests.

Naruto sighed and got up, detaching himself from the raven, which was difficult, as the other boy seemed to be holding onto him as if his life depended on it. He walked over to the door, after opening it he smiled at Kiba's father and said, "Thanks." The older man just nodded as the blonde took the matches before shutting the door again. He then walked over to the fireplace and lit it, lighting up the entire room.

Sasuke seemed to calm down as the dim light illuminated the room. Rather than curling up in a ball, he was just laying on the bed. He seemed calmer than before, but he still was shaken up.

Naruto looked at the raven and he could tell that Sasuke was still scared. He walked over to the raven's bed and climbed in, covering both himself and Sasuke partially with the covers.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked in a shaky voice. While he found that he liked being in Naruto's arms, that didn't mean that he wanted the blonde to join him in bed.

"Calming you down," Naruto said as he lay next to the dark haired teen. "Just go to sleep," he said quietly as he pulled the other boy to him, putting one arm around the raven.

Sasuke wanted to protest, but he found himself not wanting the blonde to move. He stayed quiet as he let himself relax in Naruto's arms, eventually falling asleep.

Naruto watched Sasuke sleep. He smiled as he saw the other boy relax. He couldn't help but think that Sasuke looked gorgeous even as he slept. He took in the peaceful look on the raven's face, smiling that Sasuke could relax around him. They were extremely close; since it was just a twin sized bed and not really made for two people. His heart started to beat faster as he looked at Sasuke and felt his body against the other boy's. He was finding that he couldn't deny that his attraction toward Sasuke was more than just physical.

**NS**

The next morning the power was back on. Sasuke woke to find that he was practically cuddling with Naruto. He blushed as he saw how close he was to the blonde, how intimate their position seemed.

Naruto opened his eyes, staring back at Sasuke. "Morning," he said not moving from his position. He liked lying next to the other boy, it somehow felt right.

"Morning," Sasuke replied. He found that he was starting to like the way he and Naruto were laying. After a brief moment of just staring at each other, Sasuke realized how close they were. He thought that he couldn't let the blonde know that he really didn't mind their position, so he said, "You can let me go now."

"Oh, right," said Naruto as he got out of the bed. After coming to terms with his feelings, Naruto found that he wanted to be closer to the raven, both physically and in their friendship. "So, are you okay?" the blonde asked. He was genuinely worried about Sasuke.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Sasuke as he looked down. He couldn't believe what happened the previous night, that he let Naruto see him so vulnerable.

"So, do you want to explain why you freaked out?" Naruto asked cautiously. He didn't want to make him mad or uncomfortable. He wouldn't push for an answer unless Sasuke wanted to give him one.

"I just don't like the dark," Sasuke said. The answer was vague and didn't explain why he didn't like it.

Naruto knew that Sasuke wouldn't give any further explanation. "Oh, okay," he said. He knew there had to be something more but he wasn't going to make Sasuke talk about it. He knew the conversation had ended there.

**NS**

Kiba and Naruto sat in the brunette's kitchen alone, talking. "I like Sasuke," Naruto said. It was the first time he'd admitted it to anyone other than himself and the first time he actually said it out loud.

"I figured," Kiba said in a bored tone. "I think everyone did, accept you and Sasuke," he shrugged. He ate his breakfast as he waited for the blonde's response.

"For how long?" Naruto asked. He was shocked, as he had just figured out his feelings. "I know you would tease me, but I didn't think that you were actually serious," he said.

"Well, I was," said Kiba as he continued to eat. "I mean don't tell me that you seriously just realized this. You've been hot for him for awhile now," the brunette added after a moment of thinking about it.

Naruto didn't respond he was trying to think if he'd actually had feelings for as long as Kiba was saying. He knew he was always attracted to Sasuke physically, but he had a feeling that he'd been denying his true feelings for a while.

Kiba looked at his best friend. He could tell that the blonde was thinking. "Don't worry, I think that the feeling is mutual," he told the blonde. It was true, he'd seen the way the two interacted and saw that Sasuke treated the blonde differently.

"How do you figure?" Naruto asked. The news was shocking to him. He knew that Sasuke had started to see him as a friend, but certainly not anything more.

"Come on eventually he goes along with pretty much anything you suggest," Kiba pointed out. He continued by saying, "He just treats you differently."

Naruto just looked at his best friend, "I don't believe you." He knew it was true that Sasuke treated him a little differently, but he didn't think that it meant the other teen liked him.

"If it makes you feel any better, I think that I might like Suigetsu," Kiba said. "And I'm pretty sure it's not reciprocated. I don't think he'd push me away if he liked me," the brunette sighed.

"I don't know, you may have just surprised him," Naruto pointed out. He wasn't surprised about Kiba's news, as he knew that the brunette had been confused since the kiss happened. "I mean one day you go on a date with Hinata and the next you kissed him, talk about mixed signals," the blonde added.

"I know," Kiba said. "I don't even know what I was thinking. I mean I was thinking about what you said and before I knew it, I was testing it," the brunette frowned.

**NS**

"Were you okay last night?" Suigetsu asked. He had been worried about how Sasuke reacted to the power outage.

"Yeah," said Sasuke quietly. "Naruto helped me calm down," he explained. He was starting to think he might actually like the blonde, as there weren't many people who calm him down so easily.

Suigetsu was a little surprised that Naruto was able to calm the raven down. He had found it difficult to make Sasuke calm down, yet the blonde was able to do it on his first attempt. "So does he know what's going on?" he asked.

"No," Sasuke replied. The raven sighed as he thought about Naruto and the previous night's events.

Suigetsu looked at his best friend and could tell that Sasuke was no longer paying attention him. He knew that the raven was probably thinking about Naruto. He could tell that Sasuke liked Naruto; he just wondered when his dark haired friend would realize it.

**TBC…?**


	42. Unhappy

**I figured that since I don't know if I'll be able to post tomorrow I could just post two today…**

**As always I own nothing**

**Chapter 42: Unhappy**

The ride back started in silence. Sasuke and Naruto sat up front, but instead of talking, it seemed that neither knew what to say. It wasn't that they were awkward around each other because of the night when the lights went out; they were just both confused about their feelings. Naruto had come to terms with his crush on Sasuke. He knew that he liked him, he just didn't know if the feeling was mutual. He hoped it was, but he didn't dare ask because if it wasn't that would possibly ruin any chance of friendship they had.

Sasuke on the other hand was thinking about how comfortable he felt in Naruto's arms. He knew at times like that night, he was difficult to calm down. Suigetsu could do it because they'd been friends for so long and he was one of the few people who knew his secret. Over the years the light haired teen had learned what to do to make him calm down. Naruto on the other hand was just able to do it by holding him in his arms and that confused him. He'd come to terms that he was physically attracted to the blonde but he wanted to believe that it was only physical. Even when his mind started to wander toward thinking he liked Naruto, he immediately found himself making the inner voice in his head to stop thinking and rather start denying.

Suigetsu broke the silence by asking the two boys, "What are you going to do for New Years Eve?" He was hoping that he could pull the two boys out of thought. He wasn't one hundred percent sure of what had happened in the room when the lights had gone out, but he knew the blonde had done something to calm Sasuke down. He had a feeling it was a lot more than talking because the two hadn't held a good conversation since it happened.

"We're working that morning, unfortunately," Naruto said. He was grateful that Suigetsu had started a conversation. He hoped maybe it would allow him and Sasuke to start talking again. "People apparently still want their coffee on New Years Eve so we aren't closed," he added.

The conversation continued as they drove to drop Suigetsu off. It was just small talk about how the break has been and what else they planned to do during the break. Mostly Naruto and Suigetsu were talking with Sasuke adding his opinion every now and then.

After they said goodbye to Suigetsu, the car went quiet once again. Sasuke finally spoke up after a few minutes. "So, uh, thanks," he said. "You know for what you did the other night," he added. He wasn't good at saying thank you, especially on a topic like that.

"Of course," Naruto smiled. "You know, I wouldn't let a friend suffer through anything, especially when I could do something," Naruto said. He glanced at Sasuke for a moment, the other teen just smiled at him. It was a smile that most people wouldn't notice, because it was just small smile, but Naruto had learned how to read Sasuke's expression.

The car went silent again, but it wasn't such an awkward silence. They didn't need to say anything more. They understood that everything was fine between them.

**NS**

Neji was still on the family's yearly retreat. He'd gotten a call from Tenten the other day, saying that she was coming to visit him. He knew that a relationship with the girl would please his family. It was what they would call a normal relationship, one that was between a boy and a girl. He hated that it had to be between members of the opposite sex to be considered normal to his family. He knew that he belonged to a very traditional family. They weren't the kind to accept anything that wasn't their definition of normal.

When Tenten arrived, he saw the look on Hiashi's face. He knew that meant that he approved. His uncle looked completely satisfied with Neji's choice of a partner. It didn't matter if he were miserable so long as it pleased his family.

Her stay was short and their conversation could only be described as lacked luster. They seemed like friends, not a couple. They were awkward at times because Tenten had to do her best in order to keep the conversation going. It was obvious to her that he wasn't truly interested, but she didn't say anything. She wanted to be with him and she knew he'd be with her as long as he wanted to please his family.

Tenten only stayed a few hours; she had to get back to her family to spend the winter with them. After they said their goodbyes, he shut the door to see Hinata looking at him, disappointed.

The dark haired girl looked around before starting the conversation. She saw that they were the only two left in the room. Hinata quietly said, "You don't look happy."

She looked at him and asked, "Why aren't you happy?" She remembered their conversation from the other day, when he asked what she thought of homosexuality. She had a feeling that the reason he wasn't happy was because he was gay and didn't want the family to know.

He sighed as he walked to sit next to her on the couch. He looked to see that no one else was in the room. "I'm not happy," he told her. She just remained quiet, waiting for his reason why. "I don't want to be with Tenten, I'm not in love with her," he said.

The way he said it made her think that there was someone he was in love with. "But you love someone else, right?" she asked timidly. She knew it was a sensitive subject, one that he didn't want to talk about.

He looked down, obviously ashamed as he said, "Yes there is someone." He frowned as he looked at her, "Please don't think any less of me." He didn't explain any further, but he knew she was going to ask him to.

"Why would I think less of you?" she asked, wanting him to admit he was gay before she made assumptions. "Whom do you love?" she then asked, hoping that he would answer her honestly.

"Gaara," it was a simple answer, one that didn't need any further explanation.

She then understood all of the looks that she'd seen the two give each other. She just smiled at him and asked, "Then why aren't you with him?" He just looked at her like she was crazy. "You shouldn't be unhappy for the sake of the family. If you love him don't let someone stop you from being together," she said a little more confidently. She knew that if Naruto loved her back, she'd do anything to be with him. Hinata felt that it wasn't right that Neji should be ashamed to love a person just because it wasn't someone that the family would approve of.

**NS**

Ino and Sai were talking, which any other time would be fine. However, Sakura was also with them and she felt she was being completely ignored. She saw the way they looked at each other and it made her angry. She could tell that Ino liked Sai and that the feeling was mutual. Part of her felt betrayed that her friend would go for the guy that she had blatantly told her she was going to go for.

"I should get going," Sai said with a small smile. The smile was only directed at Ino, it was as if Sakura wasn't even their. He walked away and for a moment Ino just watched him.

"I can't believe you," Sakura said, accusingly. She thought they were done going after the same guy. Apparently she was wrong.

"What?" Ino asked, trying to figure out what she did wrong. She didn't even realize that she was ignoring Sakura for the past ten minutes.

"I thought you liked Shikamaru," Sakura said. She had been completely blindsided by the fact that Ino liked Sai. She didn't understand why she wouldn't tell her when they talked about him.

"I did," Ino said. "I just like Sai too. He actually appreciates me, that was something I felt Shikamaru could never do," the blonde haired girl tried to explain. She could see the anger in Sakura's eyes.

"I told you that I was going to go for him," Sakura said. "This is just like Sasuke all over again," she said frustrated. "I thought we were done going for the same guys," she then added.

"If you'd stop going for guys only off their looks we wouldn't have this problem," Ino said, equally angry. She knew Sakura would never go for Sai if he didn't look somewhat similar to Sasuke.

"I don't go just based on looks," Sakura said, obviously offended. "Did you ever think that I really do like Sai?" she asked.

"We both know you don't," Ino sighed. "You like him because he had the dark hair and dark eyes that make you let yourself imagine you're with Sasuke," she said, knowing it was true.

"That's not true," Sakura said. She couldn't believe what her best friend was saying about her. Ino was practically saying that she was shallow.

"He calls you ugly," Ino said, annoyed by the fact that Sakura couldn't see that she was always going for guys who just weren't interested. "You can't tell me you actually like him when he gives you the nickname ugly," she said harshly.

"I was planning on trying to change his opinion of me," Sakura said. She knew at this point Ino was right, she didn't really like that he called her ugly, nor did she really like him in general.

"I don't even think you really asked me if I liked him," Ino said. "You just claimed him like he'd go along with it because you think any straight guy would," she pointed out. She knew that she was being harsher than was necessary, but sometimes it just had to be said. "We're not dating," Ino said after a moment of silence loomed between them. "He asked me on a date, but there's nothing serious yet," she told Sakura. "I didn't want to tell you about me liking Sai until I knew something serious would come out of it," she added.

Sakura frowned; she didn't know what to do. Ino and Sai had something and Sasuke was gay, she was starting to wonder if she'd ever find a guy. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have freaked out like that," Sakura said.

"I'm sorry too, we both said some mean things," Ino said with a smile.

"Can we just stop talking about guys? I don't want this to become a fight like the ones we had in high school," Sakura said. Ino just nodded as they started to talk, avoiding any topic that could bring up guys.

**TBC…?**


	43. Kiss Me At Midnight

**I'll admit that the title of this chapter is because of an NSYNC song**

**I just wanted to thank all of you that review, you guys have made this my third story to have over 500 reviews **

**As always I own nothing**

**Enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 43: Kiss Me at Midnight**

It was the morning of New Years Eve and Naruto and Sasuke were working. The blonde had been subtly trying to flirt with Sasuke. He wanted to see how long, if ever, the raven would notice. He wasn't trying to freak the other teen out, so he wasn't coming on too strong. Naruto just wanted to see if Sasuke would react and what kind of reaction it would be.

Sasuke was leaning up against the counter; he was bored because they'd only had six customers since the morning rush was over. He had realized that Naruto was flirting with him; he just chose to ignore it. "Dobe, are you attempting to flirt with me?" Sasuke finally asked, cutting off the blonde as he looked at him for an answer.

Naruto just gave what seemed to be a mix of a smile and a smirk. He walked over to the dark haired teen, as he stood sideways while using one hand to lean on the counter. They were standing close, but neither of them made an effort to move. "So what if I am?" he asked. "Does it bother you?" the blonde asked.

Sasuke blushed a little at the blonde's actions and words. He hadn't expected Naruto to admit it. Before Sasuke could answer, the door of the coffee shop opened and he quickly moved away from the blonde.

Naruto just sighed and walked over to the cash register. He wanted Sasuke to answer his question, but it didn't look like he was going to get one. He knew that the other boy would just change the subject or not talk at all once the customer left.

The customer was a dark haired girl, who she started to flirt with the blonde. Sasuke just rolled his eyes as he made her drink. He didn't want to seem jealous, but he kind of was. It made him annoyed that he got jealous of someone flirting with the blonde, especially a girl considering that he was gay. What made him even more annoyed was that the blonde was just encouraging her.

Once her drink was done, Sasuke put it on the counter for her. When she went to grab it, Sasuke couldn't help but glare at her as he leaned against the opposite counter. She just looked at him and quickly left, a little scared of Sasuke's glare. "Why do you encourage them?" Sasuke asked and it was obvious that he was annoyed.

"I don't know," Naruto shrugged, loving how jealous the raven was getting. "It's good for business, you know?"

"Yeah, whatever," Sasuke mumbled.

**NS**

Neji and Tenten decided to go out to celebrate New Years that night. Tenten had got dressed up a little while Neji didn't make much of an effort. They had been having fun, but he couldn't help but think about Gaara. He thought that was whom he really should be spending the evening with and he knew if he wasn't such a coward that was who he'd be with.

The crowd started to count down clock Tenten got excited. It was practically tradition to kiss the person you liked when the clock stroked twelve.

Neji could hear the people around them count down the last ten seconds until the New Year. He knew that he was supposed to kiss her; he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He found himself not wanting to start the New Year with her. He knew that he could just close his eyes and pretend that it was Gaara, but he didn't want to, it wouldn't be the same.

As the New Year rang in she went to kiss him. He stopped her, making the girl confused. "What's going on Neji?" She asked.

"I can't do this," Neji said as he walked way from her, leaving her alone. He quickly made it out of the crowd before he could change his mind or second-guess himself. He knew to be happy he had to do what he'd just done.

**NS**

Sakura, Sai, and Ino planned to spend the New Year together, watching the fireworks. Lee saw them and tagged along, even though Sakura protested the idea. He figured that he'd use the night to change her mind.

Sai and Ino didn't kiss as the New Year chimed in. She was worried about hurting the other girl's feelings. Sakura knew Ino liked Sai, but she didn't want to think that the feeling was mutual.

Ino and Sai settled on holding hands when midnight came. Sakura on the other hand, got a surprise as the clock stroke twelve. Lee had grabbed the pink haired girl and pulled her close to him, kissing her in the process.

To everyone's surprise, Sakura didn't push him away as quickly as they thought she would. After a moment, the girl pushed him away and slapped him. She then disappeared into the large crowd.

Ino frowned as she watched her best friend leave. She didn't go after her though; instead she stayed to comfort Lee.

Sakura tried to figure out what it all meant. She knew that Lee liked her, but she didn't think that she liked him back. _'Then why didn't I push him away?"_ she asked herself. She decided not to think about it and instead made her way home.

**NS**

Chouji and Kiba were hanging out in the lodge. The television was on in the background showing the New Years parties from around the world as each chimed in. They couldn't do fireworks in the mountains because of all of the trees, so everyone was gathered around the television waiting for the New Years.

As Kiba looked at everyone, he couldn't help but feel that something was missing. The lodge and cabins were low enough on mountains so that they still got cell phone service and Kiba felt that there was someone he needed to call. "I'm going to my cabin," the brunette said before walking out of the lodge.

Once he got back to his cabin and in his room, he pulled out his cell phone. He looked at it a long time before he got the nerve up to call. It rang a couple times before the person on the other line answered, "Hello?"

"Hey Suigetsu, how's your New Years?" Kiba asked, not letting the other boy get the chance to ask why he called.

"Pretty boring actually, I hope that's not a sign of how next year will be," the other boy laughed.

"Mine's pretty boring too," the brunette said.

"Is that why you called?" Suigetsu asked. He wasn't sure what he wanted the answer to be.

"Mostly," Kiba said. He didn't want the other to know that he missed him.

"Well maybe we can help each other not be bored," Suigetsu said. They started to talk, which continued most of the night. The two didn't even realize when the New Year came; they were just concentrated on each other.

**NS**

Temari and Shikamaru lay in the grass watching the stars, waiting for the fireworks to go off. They knew everyone would be setting fireworks off; they didn't have to be part of the crowd to know when it was the New Year.

"Will you go out with me?" Shikamaru asked out of the blue.

Temari sat up; she never thought that would come. She was genuinely surprise by the question, "As in be your girlfriend?" She had to make sure she understood him correctly.

"Yeah," was his simple answer, he didn't need to say anything else.

"You're not just asking because Ino seems to be moving on, right?" Temari asked, suspiciously.

"I really don't care if she's moving on," Shikamaru replied. "I should have asked you out a long time ago," he added.

A small smile spread across her face as she said, "Well, then of course I will." As the fireworks went off everywhere else, Temari pulled Shikamaru into a kiss, which he returned. "Happy New Year," she said as they stopped.

"Happy New Year," he responded.

**NS**

About ten minutes to midnight, Kyuubi walked in the front door. He looked over and saw Sasuke and Naruto watching television. The two didn't even seem to care that he came in or the fact that they were sitting so close. "Hey guys," Kyuubi said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Kyuubi," Naruto said as Sasuke just did a grunting sound as his form of hello.

"I brought cake home," the man said. "I decided to duck out of the party a little early, it was getting a little too crazy even for me," he laughed. "But I stole some cake," he smiled.

Naruto popped right up, "I want some." Sasuke just rolled his eyes and followed the blonde.

"Whatever, just don't eat all of it, I will kill you," the redhead threatened.

Naruto just laughed, "We'll save you a piece, don't worry."

"I always do when it comes to you, only god knows what kind of trouble you'll get into," Kyuubi said as he walked down the hall toward his room.

"Well same goes for you," Naruto yelled to his brother, who just gave him the middle finger before walking into his room. The blonde just laughed as he turned toward Sasuke, "Want some cake?"

"Sure," Sasuke shrugged as he hopped up so he was sitting on Naruto's counter, waiting for him to get them each a slice. He was starting to feel comfortable in the other boy's house rather than awkward.

"Who said I want your ass on my counter?" the blonde teased.

"Who said that I give a fuck about what you want?" the raven responded. They both knew neither of them was serious, as at that point even Sasuke had a small smile on his face.

Naruto stopped what he was doing as he looked at the dark haired teen. He couldn't help but think that he looked better when he smiled, it wasn't a site seen often. He liked when he did manage to get Sasuke to smile.

"You okay Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he looked at the blank stare on the other boy's face.

Naruto didn't know what made him say it; he was starting to think that he had lack of judgment whenever he looked at Sasuke. "What would you do if I kissed you right now?" the blonde asked.

Sasuke's eyes widened a little before letting out a small laugh. He thought that Naruto was joking; he didn't think the blonde would really kiss him. It wasn't until the blonde actually did kiss him that he realized that he wasn't kidding.

The dark haired teen didn't push him away. He couldn't, it just felt too right. Instead, he put his arms around the blonde, pulling him closer as Naruto stepped in between his legs.

Naruto's hands each sat on one side of the counter next to Sasuke. He couldn't help but think that the kiss was better than he remembered and the best part was that they weren't drunk. Sasuke was actually sober while passionately kissing him.

The counter was kind of tall, making it so Sasuke had to bend a little to make it so it wasn't an awkward kiss. The dark haired teen didn't want the kiss to end. He could feel the blonde's tongue against his and it was pure bliss.

Kyuubi walked into the kitchen to see the two of them kissing. He couldn't just leave without messing with the two. He just smirked as he said, "I knew you brought a friend home, but not that kind of friend."

The two immediately pulled away, blushing. "We are just friends," Naruto said, not looking at Sasuke.

"Either way, can you guys not have sex on the counter?" he said with a laugh as he went in the fridge to grab a soda. "I just wanted to say happy New Year, I didn't expect to see that," Kyuubi shrugged as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Well, its already past midnight, we should go to bed," Sasuke said as he got off the counter.

"Don't you want cake?" the blonde asked. He wanted to talk about what just happened but it seemed very clear to him that Sasuke didn't want to.

"No, I need to think," Sasuke said as he quickly made his way out of the kitchen and to the guest bedroom.

Naruto watched the door shut as he frowned. He looked at the cake and found he didn't want any he just wanted to sleep.

**TBC…?**


	44. Used

**I just want to thank everyone who reviewed, I got 18 reviews pretty much over night, so thank you to all who reviewed, it is much appreciated…**

**I'm almost done writing this story, I'm on chapter 52 and once I get them done, you can probably look forward to a chapter a day, as all I'll have to do is post them and edit them…**

**Don't be fooled by this chapter, I promise they'll get together soon…**

**As always I don't own anything**

**Enjoy and please review **

**Chapter 44: Used**

It was the next morning and Naruto was sitting in the kitchen. He wasn't really eating his breakfast, more just moving it around in the bowl. As his older brother walked into the kitchen the blonde just glared at him trying to make him explode. If it weren't for Kyuubi, Naruto knew he'd at least gotten more time to kiss Sasuke or at least maybe get him to talk.

The blonde watched as his older brother walked into the room. After thinking so much about Sasuke, it brought another question that Naruto had long been wondering. He remembered talking to Sasuke about his father, it just made him all the more curious as to what happened to him. "Hey Kyuubi?" he said as he looked at his brother.

"Yeah?" he said as he started to get himself breakfast.

"How did dad die?" he asked, he knew it was out of the blue, but in his mind it made sense as to why he was asking. "You never tell me when I ask about it, I just want to know."

Kyuubi sighed, as he looked at his little brother, "Just promise not to hate me after I tell you."

"I could never hate you," Naruto said. It was true, it seemed that no matter what his brother did, he couldn't hate him.

"Well, mom was in labor and I kept calling him, telling him to get there as fast as he could. He told me he was hurrying, but I still didn't stop calling him. Because he was rushing to the hospital and I kept distracting him, he got into a car accident, one that was bad enough to kill him. If I hadn't been hurrying him or if I hadn't been distracting him, he would have never died," Kyuubi explained, not looking at his brother the entire time.

"That's not your fault, you didn't know that would happen," Naruto said. He couldn't believe that his brother blamed himself. "I mean, you were young, you didn't know what would happen," he added.

The mood in the room turned somber and Kyuubi wanted to change it. He stopped talking about their parents and instead turned it to Naruto's love life. "So, where's your boyfriend?" Kyuubi smirked as he sat across from his brother.

"He's not my boyfriend," Naruto mumbled.

"But you want him to be," Kyuubi said, finishing the part of the sentence that Naruto seemed to refuse to say. "A word of brotherly advice, just grow some balls and ask him out, he obviously likes you," the older Uzumaki said.

"I think you just love ruining my night," Naruto said, as he continued to look down.

"If you just asked him out, then my interruption wouldn't have ruined your night," the other pointed out.

Before the blonde could reply, Sasuke walked into the room. "Hey Sasuke," Naruto smiled as the boy got out some cereal for breakfast.

"Hn," the raven said, obviously not much of a morning person whenever he stayed up late. He'd found it difficult to sleep the previous night, which made his mood worse.

"So Sasuke, how's your brother been?" Kyuubi asked.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Sasuke grumbled as he sat down.

"I would but he won't answer any of my calls or text messages," the man said. He was obviously annoyed by the older Uchiha's actions but didn't want to show it.

"Oh," Sasuke said, finding himself not very hungry. He got up and put his dishes in the sink. He didn't say anything else before walking back to the guest room.

"Well that went great," Naruto said sarcastically, making his older brother chuckle.

**NS**

Sasuke got his phone off of its charger once he got to the room. He sat on the bed as he dialed the number. It rang for a moment before the person answered, "Yes Sasuke?"

"Hey Itachi," the younger Uchiha replied. "How was your New Year?" he asked.

"Good, very good actually, how should I put this, fun," Itachi answered. "How was yours?"

"Interesting," Sasuke gave as a simple reply. He wasn't about to go into detail with his brother about exactly what happened.

"So, what's the real reason that you called?" Itachi asked, knowing his brother far too well.

"Kyuubi is here," Sasuke said, trying to figure out how to phrase his question. "He said that you stopped answering his calls," the younger of the two continued. "Just tell me something, did you use him?"

"Does it really matter?" Itachi asked, wondering why his brother would ask him about Kyuubi. He felt that the people he talked to shouldn't matter to his brother.

"I'm serious Itachi, did you use him?" he wasn't just going to give up on getting an answer.

"In a way," Itachi admitted. "I mostly stopped talking to him because Kisame didn't like me talking to him," the older Uchiha explained. "If I had to hear him talk about Kyuubi one more time, I was going to go crazy," he added.

"So in other words, you used Kyuubi to get what you wanted and then ignored him," Sasuke said. He wasn't really sure why he cared so much, but he did.

"Is this because you like his brother? Is that why you care?" Itachi asked. He'd been trying to think why Sasuke cared about Kyuubi, but then remembered who the redhead's brother was.

"This has nothing to do with Naruto," he lied. He knew if it weren't for Naruto he probably wouldn't even care.

"Right," Itachi said skeptically.

**NS**

Kyuubi knew he shouldn't listen in on Sasuke's conversation, but he had to. He saw how quickly the boy left after he mentioned Itachi. He figured he was going to call his older brother and he wanted to hear what it was about. _"In other words you used Kyuubi,"_ he heard Sasuke say from the other side of the door. That was all he had to hear before he marched back into the kitchen, extremely angry.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked as he watched his brother pace in the kitchen.

"Your little boyfriend's asshole brother was using me," he answered angrily.

"He's not my boyfriend," Naruto corrected.

"I don't care, his brother still used me," the redhead practically yelled.

"Can you try not to yell, he won't take too kindly to you listening in on his conversation," the blonde said.

"Shut the hell up," Kyuubi said as he went and grabbed his jacket.

"Where are you going?" his younger brother asked.

"For a walk," was all Kyuubi said before he walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

Sasuke walked out of the guest room to see that Naruto was still at the table. He walked over and sat across from the blonde, "I'm guessing your brother listened in on my conversation."

"Yeah, why did Itachi use him?" Naruto asked he had to know if there was a good reason.

"Kisame," was Sasuke's only answer. It was all that he really had to say on the subject.

After a few moments of silence, Naruto finally said, "We need to talk about last night."

Sasuke looked at him, "What about it?" He didn't want to be the one to say it first. He didn't want to say that he felt something just for Naruto to say that he didn't.

They both were scared as to how one kiss could change everything. Naruto was debating in his head what to say. He didn't want to tell Sasuke how he felt if he wasn't sure that the other felt the same way. He knew that they kissed that night, but he initiated it. For all he knew Sasuke could have been in shock. With the way he kissed him back, the blonde didn't think that was the case, but he still wanted to be sure before he made his move. "I mean it was just a kiss, right? Nothing more?" he said it as a question, hoping Sasuke would say that he was wrong.

The raven felt his heart sink at those words. They weren't the words he really wanted to hear. He'd been denying to himself that he'd like Naruto for a while and it seemed as if he'd continue to. "Uh, yeah," he said but it wasn't his usual confident voice in which he agreed. He knew that his voice probably betrayed him and showed how disappointed he was.

"Okay, uh, good," Naruto said. He wasn't sure if he was right in saying what he thought Sasuke wanted him to say. Before he could fix it though, the raven had walked out of the kitchen and back down the hall to the guest room.

**NS**

Tenten took a deep breath; she had called Neji and told him to meet her. The meeting place was secluded, she wanted to be able to get a real answer from him, not just what his family wanted him to say.

"Hello Tenten," Neji said once he walked over to her. He knew exactly what she wanted to talk about; there was no hiding the truth at that point.

"Want to tell me what last night was all about?" she asked. She had a feeling that she knew the truth but Tenten didn't want to accept that answer.

"I think you know," he said as he looked down. He had a feeling that all of their friends knew about his feelings for Gaara.

"I want to hear it from you," she responded. Tenten had that look on her face that told him she wasn't going to give up.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he tried to figure out how to say it. "I'm gay," he admitted after a moment.

"As in homosexual? Because I can tell that you sure aren't happy right now," she said. She didn't mean to be rude, but she was extremely hurt.

"Yes, as in homosexual," Neji replied.

"Then why'd you date me?" Tenten asked. She just wanted some things straightened out. "I mean are you bi or just gay? If you were bi I'd understand going out with me, but if not then why did do it?" she had so many questions that she wanted answered.

"I wanted to make my family happy," he answered, it answered all the questions.

"So you used me to make your family happy?" Tenten asked. "Did you even see a chance for us to be a long term relationship?"

"I'm sorry, I thought I could just pretend that I wasn't gay and maybe it'd go away. But it didn't, I couldn't mask how I feel, and I wanted to end it before you got even more hurt than you already are," Neji explained.

"Who is it?" she asked, knowing that if he couldn't get over his feelings then there was obviously someone he liked.

Neji looked down, finding the ground interesting as he answered, "Gaara."

She was thinking about coming back with a snide remark, but instead just said, "I'm happy for you."

"If he'll ever talk to me again," Neji sighed.

"I'm sure he will," she said as she gave him a weak smile. She knew she couldn't blame him for being gay, no matter how much it hurt.

**TBC…**


	45. Together

**As always, I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**I believe this is a chapter that a lot of people have been waiting for**

**Chapter 45: Together**

Ever since it happened, Naruto hadn't been able to get the kiss off of his mind. Every time that he looked at the other teen, it mad him think about the kiss. He couldn't help himself, he'd already come to terms with his crush, all there was left was to find out if Sasuke liked him too. He just didn't know how to find out with out blatantly asking him.

They were sitting on Naruto's couch, which only made the blonde think about Sasuke more. He couldn't help but think about how comfortable he was next to Sasuke, how right it felt to be next to him. Part of him just wanted to put his arm around Sasuke just to see how the raven would react.

"Is there a reason that you're staring at me?" Sasuke asked as he looked at the blonde. He'd felt Naruto's eyes on him since they'd sat down. It was a little unnerving to have the guy he likes staring at him.

"Oh, uh, sorry, I didn't realize that I was staring," Naruto said as he looked away. He didn't want to creep Sasuke out, or let the raven know what he was thinking about. He figured that if he could pretend that it was just a kiss, everything would be fine.

"Whatever," Sasuke said. He knew something was on the blonde's mind, but he wasn't sure that he really wanted to know what.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke again as he contemplated putting his arm around the other boy. He took somewhat of a deep breath and then he nonchalantly put his arm around Sasuke. He just wanted to see how the other boy would act.

At first Sasuke went stiff, not sure exactly what was going on. He looked at Naruto, who was just relaxing next to him as if nothing was going on. Sasuke thought about what he should do, either push the arm off or just relax into the blonde's hold. The second option won the battle in his head and he moved closer to the blonde and relaxed.

The blonde smiled at Sasuke's reaction and he knew that he couldn't deny what he was feeling any longer. Part of him wanted to tell Sasuke what he was feeling, the other part of him thought that he couldn't, it'd ruin the friendship. "It wasn't just a kiss," Naruto said quietly. He couldn't stop the words from coming out of his mouth. After he said it, he immediately regretted his inability to censor himself.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the words, causing him to turn and look at the blonde, it was as if the other boy was reading his mind. He wasn't sure exactly what to do at that point; he didn't just want to look desperate by pulling him into a kiss right away.

"I understand if you don't feel the same," Naruto said, moving his arm off the other boy, after not getting a response from the other teen. He could tell that Sasuke was shocked and decided to give him an easy way out. "We can still be friends though, right?" he then asked.

"Shut up," Sasuke said before he leaned over and started to kiss the blonde. He didn't want there to be any doubt in Naruto's mind as to what he was trying to say, so instead of speaking he decided to kiss him.

Naruto didn't hesitate to kiss Sasuke back. The blonde pulled him closer so he could deepen the kiss, making it so the raven ended up sitting on his lap. He ran his tongue across Sasuke's bottom lip, causing the raven to immediately grant him access as he wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck. In between kisses, Naruto asked, "What does this mean?"

Sasuke stopped kissing him, but remained in the same position, breathing heavily as he asked, "What do you want it to mean?"

The blonde was silent for a moment before he leaned in and gave the other boy another kiss. It was innocent and short, and once it was over, Naruto said, "I think I made it pretty obvious what I want. I want to be with you, if that's what you want too."

Sasuke just kissed him again before saying, "Then I guess we're together."

The blonde just smiled, it was fitting that they'd have the least romantic way of getting together. "So now I can call you my boyfriend?" He had his usual grin as he talked and kissed the raven.

"That is what that means," Sasuke chuckled as the blonde continued to kiss him.

"Well then I guess that means that I need to take you out on a date," the blonde smiled.

**NS**

Sakura, Sai, and Ino were hanging out at the park. It was a nice day out considering it was winter and even though there was snow on the ground, it was not still snowing. Sakura thought of a plan, hoping that it would make Ino see that she was the better choice for Sai. "So, Sai, what do you look for in a girl?" Sakura asked, hoping he'd describe her.

"Someone kind and pretty, like Ino," he answered, surprising both girls.

Ino knew that he liked her; she just didn't expect him to admit it in front of Sakura. Neither one of them wanted to upset the pink haired girl, she had quite the temper. Ino knew it wasn't her fault though; the girl just often mistook lust for love.

Sakura became upset, as her plan backfired on her. She hadn't expected him to just flat out say that he liked Ino. She wanted him to describe his dream girl, so she could try to prove that she fit that mold. She was a little angry with Ino, she still felt like the blonde haired girl was stealing her man. She just frowned as the two gave each other that look that showed the feeling between them was mutual. The pink haired girl just rolled her eyes, wishing that she had someone who liked her that she liked back.

**NS**

Kyuubi dialed Itachi's number, hoping that this time he'd answer. "Hello?" Itachi said as he answered the phone, surprising the redhead.

"Hey," Kyuubi said. "I'm glad you answered, I need to talk to you," he said.

"What do you need?" the dark haired man asked as he looked around to make sure that Kisame wasn't anywhere around.

"I just wanted to know something," Kyuubi said. "I wanted to know why you used me," he frowned; he was trying not to sound as angry as he was.

"I did find you attractive at the time," Itachi answered. "It just wouldn't be logical to be with you when I liked someone else already," he told him calmly.

"The why even pretend to be interested?" Kyuubi asked. "Was I just some kind of back up plan?" he continued to ask.

"I'm sorry," Itachi said. He didn't want it to be awkward because he just had gotten word that he was going to be helping on a project that would make it so he'd have to work with Kyuubi. He didn't want their companies to suffer because Kyuubi was mad at him.

The redhead just frowned, "Yeah, whatever, I have to go." He hung up, not giving the other man a chance to talk any longer.

Itachi frowned at the phone. He had a feeling that he would not be enjoying he involvement on the latest company project. He sighed as he had a feeling that Kyuubi had no idea that they'd be working together.

**NS**

Neji stared at the phone, contemplating what he should do. He wanted to talk to Gaara, but he had a feeling that the boy wouldn't answer him. Instead, he called Temari, feeling that she was more likely to answer than Gaara.

"Hello?" a harsh voice answered.

It was at that point that Neji knew Gaara had been telling her what was going on. "Can I speak to Gaara? I know he won't answer if I call his cell phone," Neji said.

"What makes you think I'll let you speak to him then?" the woman said. She was angry and it was very obvious. He knew why she was upset with him, he was trying to call and fix it.

"Please Temari," Neji said, trying not to sound like he was begging.

"What do you think Kankuro?" the girl asked her other brother.

Neji sighed, knowing the boy didn't like him much. "Please Temari," he said yet again.

"Kankuro doesn't think I should either," she said, knowing that she was practically torturing him.

"Temari, you know I don't beg often," Neji said. "But please, I'm begging you," the brunette said.

"Well, since your begging," she said and he could hear the smirk in his voice.

A few moments later, he heard Gaara come on the phone, "What do you want?"

"Gaara listen, I am so sorry," he said.

"Just because I'm talking to you, doesn't mean that I forgive you," Gaara said. It was easy to see that the redhead was still angry.

"I know, but please do forgive me," Neji said, he couldn't believe that he was resorting to begging, yet again. "I was stupid," the brunette admitted. "I should have just stood up to my family," he said.

"Yeah, you should have," said Gaara in a slightly angry, monotone voice.

"Please forgive me," Neji said. "I know that I was stupid for hurting you, it has been torture ever since I did," the older of the two said. He couldn't believe how much begging he was doing in just one phone call, but he felt it was worth it.

Gaara was silent for a little while before he said, "Just because I forgive you doesn't mean that I'll be with you." He wasn't going to let Neji get off so easily, "I'll talk to you and be somewhat of a friend, but I'm not going to date you."

Neji frowned, wondering what he could do to make the other boy truly forgive him. "I understand," was his only response. He knew that he had to make it up to Gaara, he just wasn't sure how to yet.

**TBC…**


	46. Date Night

**As always I own nothing…enjoy and please review**

**Decided to update before the Superbowl started **

**Chapter 46: Date Night**

It was the last week before they went back to school. Most people who went out of town were coming back, including Kiba. He had yet to hear about what was going on between Naruto and Sasuke, which meant he was in for quite the surprise. He, Naruto, Sasuke, and Suigetsu all decided to hang out once the brunette got home. They all sat in Kiba's room, watching the brunette unpack. "So, what'd I miss over the break?" Kiba asked.

"Nothing really," Naruto shrugged. He was lying on his stomach next to Sasuke on Kiba's bed. The raven was flipping through the Rolling Stone magazine that Kiba had brought back with him so he'd have something to read on the car ride home. Naruto was playing with the raven's hair and Sasuke wasn't stopping him, which the brunette found odd. _'I wonder how long I can keep this up before he swats my hand away,'_ Naruto thought as he continued to play with the dark hair.

Kiba just looked at the two, thinking their behavior was different toward each other. _'What the hell is going on?' _Kiba wondered and he looked at Suigetsu for an explanation. "They're dating now," the light haired teen informed him.

Kiba sighed, "Why am I always the last to know these things?" He wasn't completely surprised at the information; he figured it was bound to happen sooner or later.

"I didn't tell you?" Naruto asked, causing the brunette to shake his head. "Oh, sorry," the blonde said.

"Be happy you found out by them telling you," Suigetsu mumbled. _'I wish I had been that lucky,' _he frowned as he remembered how he found out.

"It's not our fault you don't knock," Sasuke shrugged as he flipped the page of the magazine. He knew that the blonde was trying to annoy him, so he didn't bother to stop him from playing with his hair.

"Why, how'd you find out?" Kiba asked with a small laugh.

"Kyuubi let me in the house and I walked into Naruto's room to find them making out on blondie's bed," Suigetsu answered.

Kiba just laughed, "Way to ruin a moment." That was his way of saying, _'Glad it wasn't me'_ with out using those exact words. He was just happy that he didn't have to walk in on the two of them.

"I swear Kyuubi knew they were making out, he had a smirk on his face as he told me where they were," the other boy huffed. He was mad at the redhead for not warning him.

"You should have knocked," Sasuke then shrugged as he continued to read the magazine. "But apparently people just don't knock anymore," Sasuke sighed.

"My brother walked in on us first," Naruto explained. He just smiled as he remembered the look on his brother's face when he had walked into the room.

Suigetsu sighed, "Well how was I supposed to know that you guys would be making out?" He was frustrated at that point, feeling that the two of them should have just locked the door or put some kind of signal to say what was going on.

"I'm the one who should be mad at you, I might have gotten further if it weren't for you," the blonde mumbled.

"No you wouldn't have," Sasuke said in his usual monotone voice, causing Kiba and Suigetsu to laugh.

"Anyway," Naruto said, starting to change the subject. "I'm taking him on a date tonight," the blonde smiled. "So please don't call us, we won't answer if you do," he said.

"So, Sasuke's the girl?" Kiba smirked, earning him a glare from Sasuke and a laugh from Naruto. "Well, that kind of fits, he kind of acts like a girl sometimes," Kiba laughed. _'Naruto might answer that and I really don't need to know about his sex life,' _the brunette thought after a moment. "You know what, don't tell me actually, I really don't want to know," he added after realizing the blonde would probably answer him.

"Its weird enough seeing them kiss, do we really need to talk about who's the girl in their relationship too?" Suigetsu asked, wanting to change the subject.

"I said never mind," the brunette pointed out.

"Oh come on, it can't be that weird to see us kiss, it's not like we haven't done it before," Naruto rolled his eyes.

"He's right," Sasuke pointed out.

"Now you guys are starting to agree with each other?" Kiba asked. "I think the world is going to end," he laughed.

"Oh shut up," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

**NS**

That night, Naruto and Sasuke went out on their date. They found it was surprisingly easy to talk to each other. The blonde was worried that it might be awkward, but he was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't. Earlier that evening they'd gone to see a movie, which had gotten boring half way through so they started to make out.

They then went to a restaurant after the movie, hoping to talk over dinner. They were talking, having a good time, when Naruto asked, "What's the dumbest think you've ever done?"

"Besides getting drunk and kissing you?" the raven smirked.

"I said dumbest, not smartest," Naruto said as he grinned.

Sasuke just chuckled as he said, "Someone's pretty full of himself."

"It's hard not to be considering when ever you get drunk you're all over me," Naruto responded.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes and said, "I don't know, I did have quite the hangover the next morning, I don't think I'd classify that as smart."

"That reminds me, I need to get you drunk again," the blonde said with a smile.

"Why's that?" Sasuke asked, having a feeling he knew what the answer would be.

"You're kind of a slut when you're drunk and it took a lot of willpower not to take advantage of you last time," Naruto laughed.

"So you want to get me drunk so that you can take advantage of me?" Sasuke asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"It's not taking advantage if you want it," Naruto laughed.

"Whatever you say," Sasuke said as he shook his head.

"What you don't agree?" Naruto asked.

"You'd be taking advantage of the fact that I'd be drunk," Sasuke pointed out.

"It's not my fault you're a slut when you're drunk," Naruto laughed.

"Seriously must you call me a slut?" Sasuke asked.

"It's the only way that I know how to describe it," Naruto shrugged. "You've never seen yourself drunk, you'd agree with me if you did," the blonde smiled.

"I'm not denying that I am, I'm just saying I don't like the word slut," the raven said.

"Do you like man-whore better?" Naruto joked, earning him a glare. "Okay, we'll just say you're loose," he smiled.

"That's a little better, I mean I don't just hit on anyone when I'm drunk," Sasuke said.

"That's not what you told me before," Naruto smirked.

"Yeah I lied," he shrugged.

Naruto just smiled, "Good to know you won't just hit on any blonde."

"No, just the ones I think are hot," said Sasuke with a small laugh.

"I better keep you away from other hot blondes then," Naruto said.

"I don't think you really need to worry," the raven said, making Naruto smile as he knew that was Sasuke's way of saying none of the other blondes could really compete with him.

**NS**

Some would say that what Sakura was doing could be called stalking. Sakura, however, would call it observing. She just wanted to observe how Sai and Ino's date was going.

She couldn't help but feel a little angry as she watched the two talk and have a good time. She knew that she shouldn't, but she was wishing that the date would go badly. Sakura knew that it probably made her a bad person, considering it was her best friend on the date and best friends should be happy for one another. She just was hoping that it would be a bad enough date to make Sai rethink what kind of girl he wanted. She was hoping that he would see that she's the kind of girl he should want, not Ino. If karma is real, she knew that what she was hoping for would get her a lot of bad karma. That was what she'd blame it on if she didn't get the guy, she'd blame it on karma.

As she watched them, she knew that she wasn't going to get what she wanted. She could see the way Sai was smiling and Ino was laughing. Sakura had a feeling that there was no way to turn the date bad, even if she were to try. _'Why does nothing ever go my way?'_ she thought as she watched the date.

As she sat in the bushes watching the date, she heard a familiar laugh. She glanced over to see Naruto and Sasuke walking down the street, holding hands. The pink haired girl felt her anger rise again. She knew that Sasuke was gay but that didn't' mean that one of her good friends had to date him. She knew that she should have seen it coming; Naruto was always just a little too obsessed with Sasuke.

Sakura knew that she should just be happy for them as well, but she was finding it very difficult. The girl felt as if every guy she liked was being stolen from her by one of her friends. She knew she'd never be with Sasuke, but it hurt all the same. Both Ino and Naruto knew that Sakura liked the two boys; she felt that friends don't go for the guy you like. _'Friends just shouldn't do that to friends,'_ she frowned, failing to see that what she was doing wasn't something friends should do either.

Sakura thought that she'd be okay with seeing Sasuke with someone else, especially since she knew that he's gay, but she wasn't. She also knew that she shouldn't be mad at her friends, but part of her couldn't help but feel a little betrayed.

**TBC…**


	47. Back in Session

**As always, I own nothing, enjoy and please review **

**Some people said that they wanted to see more of what the characters were thinking, so I tried to add that in a little bit, let me know what you think…**

**Chapter 47: Back in Session **

It was time to go back to school again, they were all back in the dorms, settled in once again. "This semester is going to be great," Naruto said as he lay on his bed. "It's going to be fun to have a class together again," he smiled.

"Yeah because English is always so much fun," Sasuke said sarcastically. He knew what Naruto meant, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to point out the blonde was kind of wrong.

Naruto sat up with a mischievous smirk on his face, "You're right, I hate English." The blonde walked over to where Sasuke was sitting at the small desk in their room and sat on his lap. "Looks like I'll need a tutor again," he said as he kissed the raven.

Sasuke started to kiss him back when the door opened. However, they just ignored it and kept on kissing.

"I know you heard us come in," Kiba said. "Are you trying to traumatize me too?" he asked.

"Seriously, what is it with you people and not knocking?" Naruto said as he and Sasuke stopped kissing. He looked at Suigetsu and Kiba, annoyed by the intrusion.

"We'll now that they're here can you get off me, you're kind of heavy," Sasuke said.

"You weren't saying that a minute ago," Naruto said as he rolled his eyes and got off the raven's lap. _'Sometimes I hate my friends,' _the blonde thought with a little bit of a pout, all he wanted to do was make out with his boyfriend, but no one seemed to let him for very long.

"That's because I was enjoying what was happening a minute ago," Sasuke replied.

"So I'm only aloud on your lap if I'm making out with you?" the blonde asked.

"Pretty much," Sasuke smirked.

'_Must they ignore us?' _ He thought as he looked at the brunette. "Kiba?" Suigetsu said.

"Yeah?" Kiba replied as he looked at the other boy.

"Oh, nothing, just making sure we're in the room since we were being ignored like we weren't," Suigetsu said, causing the brunette to laugh.

"If we were ignoring the fact that you're in the room then we'd still be making out," Naruto said as he lay on his bed. _'Like I want to be,' _he added in his mind.

Suigetsu just rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He sighed as he said, "We're going to the bookstore to get our books. Do you guys want to come too?"

"Sure, let me grab my wallet," the blonde said as he got up and started looking for it.

"Why so you can cry again when you have to pay for your books?" Kiba smirked. He loved the opportunities he got to make fun of Naruto.

"I did not cry," the blonde said, a little defensively. "I just didn't want to give the money to them," Naruto said. "It should never cost three hundred dollars for books," the blonde grumbled.

"Mine cost four hundred last semester," Suigetsu said. "It could be worse," he pointed out. "I'm sure I won't even get a hundred when I sell them back," he frowned.

"Probably not," Sasuke said. "But at least we split the cost of our business book last semester," he pointed out. "It could have cost more," he shrugged.

"True," Suigetsu said.

"We should do that with our English book," Naruto said, happily. He hated spending money one school supplies, it just didn't seem right. It made him miss high school where they were given the textbooks to use for the year, especially since it wasn't like he wanted to keep any of his books.

Sasuke just nodded, "Sounds good."

"We're still going to split the cost of our Economics book right?" Suigetsu asked. He knew the book would be expensive so there was no way he wanted to spend more than 100 dollars just on one book.

"Yeah, I'm not paying full price for that stupid book," Sasuke said.

"You guys know that you can just rent the books to spend less money," Kiba said as he looked at his friends.

"Yeah, I'm not putting my credit card on file," Sasuke said, shaking his head. "Then if you forget to give it back or lose it, they charge you the price of the book and I'm pretty sure they'd charge the new price, not the used."

"Whatever," Kiba rolled his eyes. "Let's just go."

**NS**

The next day at lunch, Naruto and Sasuke were eating together. They were talking about the first day of classes and how their classes were going. "Seriously, my political science professor is a bitch," Naruto said.

"I kind of got that by the way you've been ranting about her," Sasuke chuckled. "Though I don't know how you can tell by just one day," he said skeptically.

"Sorry, I've just never hated a professor so quickly," said Naruto. "I mean her syllabus looks like torture," he sighed. "What kind of professor gives a quiz every week?" he asked.

"My biology professor is the same way," Sasuke shrugged. "But at least lab doesn't start for another week," the raven said. "But really, I don't think you can say a professor is a bitch, just because she gives a lot of work or tests," he said.

"I guess," Naruto nodded. _'But I do still think she's a bitch,' _Naruto thought, though didn't want a lecture from Sasuke. "Did you meet anyone in that class that might be a good lab partner?" he asked.

"This one guy seemed pretty nice," Sasuke said. "I'm pretty sure he said that he took the same lab as me, so I might partner up with him," he said.

"Guy?" Naruto asked. _'Why must it be a guy?' _Naruto thought. He didn't like the sound of Sasuke having another guy as a partner, especially if he's a hot guy.

"Yeah, so?" Sasuke asked. He didn't see what the big deal was if he partnered up with a guy.

"Just making sure that I heard you right," Naruto said, trying to make sure that he didn't come off as jealous.

Sasuke was about to respond when he saw Orochimaru sit at the table next to them. He was looking straight at Sasuke, not caring who noticed that he was staring.

Naruto looked in the direction that Sasuke was looking when he stopped talking. He saw the man staring at them and he said, "You don't have to tell me."

"But I should," Sasuke said as he looked at Naruto. Sasuke took a deep breath and started by saying, "I'm pretty sure you already know that he's my guardian."

Naruto nodded, he was happy that Sasuke was finally going to tell him what was going on. "Well…" Sasuke started, but was cut off by their brunette friend coming to the table.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kiba asked as he sat down. He didn't know what he was interrupting, if he did then he would have stayed away.

In that moment Naruto wanted to strangle his best friend. _'You've got to be kidding me,' _he thought. "Just talking," the blonde said, obviously irritated.

"I'm going to go, I'll see you guys later," Sasuke said as he quickly got up. He was starting to wonder if that was a sign that he shouldn't tell the blonde. He needed to talk to Suigetsu; he knew he'd be able to talk some sense into him.

"What was that about?" Kiba asked as he watched Sasuke walk away.

"He was going to tell me something," Naruto said, still annoyed.

"Did he tell you what his secret is?" Kiba asked, wondering if that was what they were talking about.

"What do you think you interrupted?" the blonde asked. "He was finally ready to tell me and you had to walk over," he sighed.

"I'm it's not like I knew," Kiba frowned. "We need to have some kind of signal that tells us when not to walk over," the brunette smiled.

"How about this," Naruto said as he gave him the middle finger.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Kiba rolled his eyes. "You can't seriously be mad at me when I didn't even know what you were talking about."

"I'm not, I'm just frustrated," Naruto sighed.

**NS**

Sasuke found Suigetsu in his room. After Suigetsu opened the door, Sasuke quickly pushed his way in, saying, "I need to talk to you."

"What'd I do now?" Suigetsu asked. "Or I guess the better question lately is what did Naruto do?" he joked.

"Nothing, I just, I need your advice," Sasuke said as he sat on the other boy's bed.

"What's up?" Suigetsu asked as he sat next to his best friend.

"I almost told Naruto what's going on," the raven said.

"Almost?" he asked.

"Kiba walked over and I wasn't going to tell him too," Sasuke explained as he looked at the ground. "Now I can't help but think that maybe its some kind of sign, like I'm not supposed to tell him," he said.

"What kind of relationship will you guys have if you have secrets from each other?" Suigetsu said.

"So I should just tell him?" Sasuke said. He knew Suigetsu was right, he should tell him since they are dating.

"Yeah, I think you need to tell him," Suigetsu replied. "He can't be there for you if he doesn't know what's going on," he pointed out.

Sasuke just nodded, "Yeah, you're probably right."

"I'm always right," the other boy laughed.

"Don't push it," Sasuke shook his head.

**NS**

Neji wanted nothing more than to prove why he should get another chance with Gaara. The redhead had been avoiding him since they had gotten back to school. He knew that Gaara had said that he'd forgiven him, but it really didn't seem like it.

The redhead was sitting at a table, eating lunch, when Neji found him. He sat down across from him, immediately saying, "Please don't walk away."

"What do you want?" Gaara sighed.

"I want another chance," he said.

"Why should I believe that this time around would be any different from the last?" Gaara asked.

"Because, I'm serious this time," Neji said as he looked at the other boy.

"Again, what should make me think that you really are serious?" he asked. Gaara was skeptical that anything would change. He knew that Neji still wouldn't tell his family and he'd end up being the secret lover again.

"I'll tell my family this time," Neji said, surprising the read head. "Just let me prove to you that I'm serious," the brunette said.

"Tell your family and then we'll talk," Gaara said, he wasn't going to let Neji trick him into forgiving him completely. He was going to need to actually see the change first. _'Our relationship is not going to be a secret if it happens again,' _Gaara thought as he walked away from the brunette.

**TBC…**


	48. The Truth

**I was going to post this earlier, but I had some family problems….I don't know when I'll post next, I haven't been able to write much the last two days and I don't know what's going to happen the next few days, family wise, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to even get to my computer much **

**Get ready to die from fluff overload…. This is a chapter I think that a lot of people wanted to happen a long time ago**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy **

**Chapter 48: The Truth**

It had been a week and Sasuke still hadn't told Naruto about Orochimaru. He tried, but every time he was about to never seemed like the right time. Naruto was starting to think that Sasuke was never going to tell him. He knew that he had to let him take his time and do it on his own, but that didn't make it any easier.

Sasuke was walking out of his biology class, thinking about Naruto and how he should tell him, and even if he should tell him. The raven sighed when he once again felt eyes on him. He looked over to see Orochimaru staring at him, like he'd done before and after every single class. He had realized at that point that some how Orochimaru found out his schedule and was using it to his advantage. He tried not acknowledging that he was there, but it seemed like it didn't really help.

He felt as if the older man was haunting him. He wanted to just run away and back to his dorm, but he knew that'd give the man far too much satisfaction. He started heading back to his dorm, trying to ignore the fact that he could feel the man's eyes on him.

Sasuke walked into the dorm room and he was obviously a little shaken up. He leaned against the door as he tried not to think about the man who made his dreams turn into nightmares.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked as he observed the other boy. He knew it had something to do with Sasuke's guardian, but he just didn't know what.

"No," Sasuke admitted as he sank so he was sitting against the door. He just sat there shaking his head, trying to find the words to say. _'I should tell him,'_ Sasuke thought.

Naruto got off his bed and sat next to him, putting his arm around the raven to comfort him. "It's okay," he said as he pulled the other boy close.

Sasuke sighed, as he knew the blonde didn't even know why he was comforting him. "He's everywhere," he finally said. "I just can't escape him," he added, he hated feeling so vulnerable. He didn't like people seeing him when he was weak.

"Who?" Naruto questioned. "That man that always stares at you?" he added. "He's your guardian right?" the blonde just wanted some questions answered.

Sasuke just nodded, signaling that all of the answers to his questions were yes. "His name is Orochimaru," Sasuke said as he looked down.

"I remember, Hinata told me that," the blonde said.

Sasuke took a deep breath as he looked at Naruto, "He's been my guardian since I was eight and my parents died. My brother wasn't old enough at the time to take on that role so we both ended up having to live with him."

Naruto didn't say anything, he didn't want to interrupt Sasuke's story. He knew that it might be the only time that the raven was ready to tell him what's going on.

"My brother always tried to protect me," Sasuke frowned as he looked at the ground.

"Protect you from what?" Naruto asked he couldn't help it. He knew he should just let Sasuke tell him at his own pace, but he couldn't control the questions coming out of his mouth.

Sasuke looked down at the floor once again. It was difficult for him to talk about, let alone to start from the beginning and telling everything. "Orochimaru," was his simple answer.

"What'd he do to you?" Naruto asked. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know. He didn't want to hear about Sasuke's pain, but he knew in order for him to help him, he had to know.

"He abused me," Sasuke said in a quiet voice. Naruto had never heard the raven talk so timid as he was in that moment. "When my brother was around, he used to try to take the abuse for me. However, Orochimaru seemed to favor me," Sasuke explained.

"How did no one ever notice?" Naruto asked. He was furious with Orochimaru; he wanted to beat him to oblivion. What's more, he wanted to kill the man.

"He never left marks where people could see them," Sasuke said. He didn't look at Naruto; it was as if he were ashamed.

"Why haven't you turned him in?" the blonde asked in disbelief. He couldn't believe that Sasuke just let the man get away with abusing him.

"It would have done no good, Orochimaru has most of the police wrapped around his finger. He's the owner of one of the biggest companies in the country. It would have been my word against his and no one would have believed me," Sasuke said.

"But you had the bruises to prove it," Naruto said. "That was what I saw that day, wasn't it?" he asked, his voice a little quieter than before.

Sasuke just nodded. "Believe me it wouldn't have done any good, Tsunade has tried many times to get me to go to the police," the raven sighed. "She even went herself once, but they told her that I'd have to be the one to accuse him. That if I didn't come forward and say it then no charges could be pressed," Sasuke said.

"Why didn't Itachi?" he then asked. He figured that Itachi wouldn't have just let the man get away with it.

"Orochimaru never left bruises on him," Sasuke said, not meeting the blonde's eyes.

Naruto pulled the raven as close as he could, "That man will never hurt you again."

"You can't promise that," Sasuke said as he finally looked at the blonde.

"Yes I can, you're never going back to live with him again," Naruto said.

Sasuke nodded as he leaned into Naruto's hold. "He's the reason I'm afraid of the dark," Sasuke told the blonde. He took a deep breath, "He'd never hit me with the lights on so I always felt safe with them on, but the moment the lights went out he was always there."

"And now he's always around campus," Naruto said sadly as Sasuke nodded. The blonde wished he could do more, but all he could do was hold the raven and try to make him feel better. "The next time I see him, he's dead," Naruto said.

Sasuke turned to face him as he said, "You can't do that." As much as he wanted Orochimaru dead, he knew he couldn't let Naruto hurt him.

"Why the hell not?" the blonde asked. He wanted to rip the man apart, but Sasuke was telling him not to and he couldn't understand why.

"Because, that would just cause more trouble and no good would come of it," the raven said. "If you kill or hurt him, you're just going to get in trouble and you know it," Sasuke said. "He holds too much power."

Naruto frowned, "Doesn't mean that I don't want to do it."

"I know," he said as he kissed the blonde. "Thank you," he added.

"For what? I didn't even do anything," Naruto said, confused.

"For just being here," Sasuke said as he once again leaned against the blonde.

Naruto smiled as he held the raven in his arms, "I'm always going to be there for you."

**NS**

Neji was trying to calm himself down as he looked around the living room where his family had gathered. They were all waiting to hear his news. "Why do we all have to be here?" Hanabi asked.

"I am curious as well Neji," Hiashi said. "Why did you call us all here?" he then asked.

Neji took a deep breath as he looked around again. He was unsure how exactly he should word it._ 'Just tell them, you have to,' _Neji thought. He looked at Hinata who just gave him a reassuring smile. "There's something I need to tell you guys," Neji started.

"Well please do before I get old," Hanabi teased.

"Be nice," Hinata said quietly to her sister.

'_Just say it,' _Neji told himself. After a few moments Neji finally built up the courage to say, "I'm gay."

Hiashi was silent for a moment before he said, "You better mean happy."

"I don't," Neji said quietly as he looked down.

"Oh come on, don't tell me that none of you saw this coming," Hanabi said. "He acts more like a girl than I do sometimes," she laughed.

"Hanabi," Hinata quietly scolded.

"Well it's true," the younger girl mumbled.

"I guess it's a good thing that you're not the heir of this family then," Hiashi said as he stood up and walked out of the room. Neji just frowned as the elders of the family looked at him with shame.

Hinata just smiled at him and he was somewhat reassured that he'd made the right choice. "They'll come around," she assured him. All he could do was nod, even though he didn't really agree.

**TBC…**


	49. The Lab Partner

**If I could find a way, I'd so do a one-shot based on the song Hey Ho by Hinder…I might, though I don't know that anyone would like it that is reading, I can't think of a way to make it NaruSasu so I may use the idea for a SasuHina fic with Sakura being the "ho" but that'll only happen if I can't get the song out of my head…I also may do a break up one-shot with Naruto and Sasuke, but again that's if I can't get the two songs that are inspiring that….**

**Anyway, I just wrote one of the longest chapters for this story…so I figured it would be a good time to post…I have a feeling people are going to like chapter 54 though**

**As always I own nothing**

**Chapter 49: The Lab Partner**

Sasuke and Naruto were walking through campus Monday morning. Sasuke had lab class that he needed to get to and Naruto decided to walk him to class. Their classes were in the same general area, so it worked for them. "So, what's your lab partner like?" the blonde asked, attempting to start a conversation.

"He's really nice actually," Sasuke said. "But I just met him last week, so who knows if he'll continue to be," the raven shrugged.

"He?" Naruto asked as he stopped walking. He didn't like the idea of his boyfriend partnering with another guy. He knew that Sasuke was hot and a lot of people were attracted to him. He just hoped that the guy was extremely straight.

"Yeah, he," Sasuke said as he stopped and looked at his boyfriend. After a short pause he asked, "Is that a problem?"

"Oh, no, I just wanted to make sure I heard you correctly," Naruto lied; using the same excuse as before, as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't want to appear as if he were jealous, even though he truly was. He started walking again before Sasuke could say anything else, grabbing the raven's hand as they walked.

"Right," Sasuke said, obviously not believing him. He knew that Naruto had a jealous streak; it was obvious after he confronted him about Juugo the previous semester.

Before either of them could say anything else, they heard a voice call, "Sasuke!" They turned to see a guy with blonde hair running up to them. While he wasn't nearly as tan as Naruto, he looked very similar to him. The guy had blue eyes, a little lighter than Naruto's, and he also was fairly well built. Naruto decided right then that he hated the guy.

Sasuke smiled a little as he said, "Hey Haru." He then looked at Naruto as he told him, "Haru is my lab partner." He could see the look in his boyfriend's eyes that told him exactly what he was thinking. _'Why does he have to be so damn jealous?' _he asked himself.

Naruto was trying not to look at him as if he wished the man would burst into flames. He knew that he must appear jealous at that point because he knew he was glaring at the other boy. He knew that Sasuke had a type that he liked, which the other boy fit. "Hi," Naruto merely said as he pulled Sasuke closer to him, putting his arm around him. He didn't like the way that the other boy looked at Sasuke; it was not just a friendly look.

"This is Naruto," Sasuke said to Haru. "He's my boyfriend," he then added, making sure Naruto heard him tell the other boy that he was his boyfriend. He could tell that Naruto was getting jealous, so he put his arm around the blonde's waist.

"Nice to meet you," Haru said, half-heartedly. He looked at Naruto and smirked, as if to say _"I'm going to steal him from you and there's nothing you can do about it."_

"Well, we should be getting to class," Sasuke said, noticing the tension between the two blondes. He was starting to think that introducing the two was a bad idea.

"I'll see you after class," Naruto said before pulling the raven into a kiss. Sasuke melted into it as he kissed the blonde back, letting Naruto take control.

Sasuke blushed a little bit as he pulled away from the blonde. While he didn't mind PDA, he also didn't like being watched while kissing someone right next to them. "As I said, we should be getting to class," Sasuke said.

Naruto slapped the raven's ass as Sasuke turned to walk away, "See you later babe."

Sasuke just looked back at Naruto, shaking his head at the blonde's action. "I'll let that slide this time," he said as he and Haru started to walk away.

"You know you loved it," Naruto grinned as Sasuke just turned toward him and gave him a small smile before turning and walking away. He couldn't help but feel a little happy, not because of Sasuke's lab partner, but because he was starting to see Sasuke smile more.

**NS**

Sakura sat in her dorm room, looking at the ceiling as she lay in bed. She found that she had a lot to think about after winter break. She sighed as she thought about her love life and wondered why it had to be so complicated. She knew that Lee liked her and when he kissed her, she found it wasn't repulsive. The pink haired girl actually found the kiss to be enjoyable. It was odd to her because she never thought of herself as attracted to Lee, yet when he kissed her she felt butterflies in her stomach. She tried telling herself that it was just because he was a good kisser, but somehow she knew it wasn't completely true.

'_Should I give Lee a chance?' _she wondered. _'It's not like Sai or Sasuke are going to come around any time soon. Neither of them likes me, but Lee does. But then would he just be a convenient back up plan, or could I actually have feelings for him?'_ she wished that love could just be simple, but knew that it never would be.

'_Maybe I could just give him a chance," _she thought. _'What could it hurt? If I don't like him after one date then I'd know that I just don't like him. But if I do like him, then I can get over Sasuke and whatever little feelings I had for Sai,'_ she decided, though she still wasn't sure what she'd do.

**NS**

"I wish I would have taken lab this semester," Naruto told Kiba as they ate lunch. Sasuke was still in class, as lab was two hours long and Naruto's class was just a little over an hour. He sighed as he continued, "You should have seen Sasuke's lab partner."

"Why's that?" Kiba asked. He didn't really care, which he felt his voice showed, but Naruto just kept on the subject.

"He was totally checking Sasuke out," Naruto rolled his eyes. "The worst part was, Sasuke didn't even seem to notice," he added.

"He obviously just doesn't care," Kiba said as he ate. "I mean does the guy look like competition?" he then asked.

"He's completely Sasuke's type," Naruto said bitterly.

"News flash, so are you," the brunette said, getting tired of the conversation.

"Yeah but he spends two hours with him every Monday, you know he's going to try to flirt with him," Naruto argued. He took a bite of his food, angrily. He wished that Sasuke would just pick a different lab partner, one that wasn't tall, blonde, and cute.

"So what? You share a room with him," Kiba pointed out. "If you can't keep the guy while rooming with him, then you're obviously doing something wrong," he added. He put his food down as he continued, "Look, being jealous isn't going to help, it's not attractive to anyone."

"I know," Naruto frowned. He trusted Sasuke; it was the other guy that he didn't trust. He felt that Haru was going to make a move on the raven, which made the blonde not like him at all. He felt he was usually a pretty nice guy, but when it came to people trying to steal things from him, it brought out a different side of him.

"So did he tell you what's going on?" Kiba asked. He figured it would be best to change the subject before the blonde decided he wanted to harm the other guy.

"Yeah, he did," Naruto smiled. "But I can't tell you what it is," he added. He knew that Sasuke trusted him with his secret; he couldn't betray that trust by telling Kiba. "I understand why he didn't tell me now," Naruto frowned as he thought about what Sasuke had told him.

"That big?" Kiba asked. He couldn't help but wonder what the secret was, but he wasn't as noisy as Naruto, nor did he care enough, to try to find out._ 'Why the hell can't he tell me, what could be that big?' _Kiba wondered.

Before the conversation could continue, Naruto saw Sasuke walk in. "Sasuke," he called out, getting the raven's attention. It was then that Naruto saw the person he was with, which made him annoyed.

Sasuke walked over, making Kiba laugh a little as he saw the guy that was with him. He looked a lot like Naruto, so he could see why his best friend would be jealous. He instantly knew that the guy was the infamous lab partner.

"Hey," Sasuke said as he gave Naruto a quick kiss before sitting down. Haru stood next to where Kiba was sitting as the raven said, "Kiba this is Haru, he's my lab partner."

"Nice to meet you," Kiba smiled as he glanced quickly at Naruto.

"Nice to meet you too," Haru said with a smile. He looked at the way Naruto was glaring at him and said, "I really should be going though; I have class soon." As he started to walk away he looked once again at Sasuke and thought, _'Damn I wish he didn't have a boyfriend.'_

"Alright, see you next Monday," Sasuke said as the other boy walked away. The raven then turned to Naruto and asked, "Do you really have to glare at him every time you see him?"

"Can you not see the looks the guy is giving you?" Naruto asked as he watched the other blonde walk away. He couldn't believe Sasuke could be so blind.

"As far as I know the guy is straight and hasn't hit on me," Sasuke said as he rolled his eyes. "Just try to be nice, he's my lab partner this semester, I don't need him thinking that you hate him," Sasuke sighed.

"Yeah, I'll try," the blonde smiled. He didn't really want to piss off Sasuke, so he agreed. "But I'm just saying, I think I'm allowed to be the jealous boyfriend this time."

Sasuke chuckled as he said, "You could, but I'd rather you weren't." He then added, "Besides, if I dumped you who would get me to do things that I don't want to do?"

"That's true, you need me," Naruto grinned as he put his arm around the raven.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Don't push it." He didn't push the arm off, but rather started to steal Naruto's food.

"Hey, that's mine," the blonde said as he watched his boyfriend.

"Not anymore," Sasuke smirked. Naruto didn't argue, but instead just gave a little smile.

**NS**

Neji found Gaara sitting inside, eating at the small food court that the students could pay extra at to get food from a variety of fast food restaurants. He sat across from the redhead, who just glared at him, trying to make him go away. He didn't say anything, but just continued eating.

"I told my family," Neji said as he looked at Gaara. "I really told them that I'm gay," he added as the redhead's eyes widened.

"And so you think I should forgive you?" Gaara asked as he looked at the other boy. He was ready to kill him for breaking his heart, but decided against it since part of him still liked the brunette.

"I was hoping you would," Neji said. He looked at Gaara, trying to see if he was going to forgive him or not. He found the redhead to be unreadable at times and that was one of those times.

"You aren't gong to just change your mind again?" Gaara asked. He was obviously still angry.

"I think it's a little late for that," Neji said. "Plus I don't think that I'd want to," the brunette said. "I tried being with Tenten, but I wasn't happy. I believe it was my destiny to go out with her for a little while, so I could see just how much I do care about you," he told him. "Please forgive me," Neji said.

"What would you do if I kissed you, right now, in front of all these people?" Gaara asked. He had to be sure that Neji was serious this time, not that he was just going to dump him for his image.

"Be extremely happy," the brunette said. "I don't care what my family thinks anymore, don't you get that? If they can't happy for me then that's their problem," Neji said as he let out a deep breath. He wanted his family to accept him, but he wanted Gaara more, he knew that he couldn't hide who he truly was forever.

Gaara pulled him into a kiss, which Neji returned and didn't even think about pulling away from. Neji didn't care who was watching, in that moment he was just happy to be with the redhead. "Fine, but you're on probation until you can really prove it to me," Gaara said as he broke the kiss. "Also, we're not being a secret this time," he demanded.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Neji smiled, knowing it would be fun to convince the redhead he was serious. He knew he had to do everything in his power to make Gaara see that he was committed this time around. He wouldn't let his family stop him from being happy.

**TBC…?**


	50. The Beach House

**Don't you hate how the people that say a story is bad, are always the ones who don't sign in? I mean really if you're going to say something is bad own up to it…I don't mind flames, I just want to be able to respond to them…sorry a review on a different story of mine brought this to mind**

**As always, I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 50: The Beach House**

Sasuke and Naruto were in their dorm room, on the raven's bed, making out. It was getting hot and heavy as Naruto was on top of the raven, their hands roaming each other's bodies. As one of Naruto's hands roamed up Sasuke's shirt and the other one started heading south, the kissing stopped. "What's wrong?" Naruto asked as he looked at Sasuke.

The raven just pushed the blonde off of him as he sat up. "I just," he started trying to explain. "Can we just go a little slower?" he asked as he looked at Naruto.

"Of course," Naruto said with a small smile. He understood Sasuke's need to go slow, it wasn't like he was used to being intimate with someone. "We can take it as slow as you want," Naruto said as he lay down on the bed, pulling the raven with him.

Sasuke had his head on the blonde's chest and Naruto used his fingers to draw circles on the raven's back. "Thanks," Sasuke said quietly.

"So, you'll never guess what Kiba told me the other day," Naruto said with a laugh as he remembered their conversation at lunch the other day.

"Is it something he'd want you to tell me about?" Sasuke questioned as he looked up at his boyfriend. He knew that Naruto could be a bit of a blabbermouth, so he wanted to make sure it was okay for the blonde to tell him.

"I don't really think he'd care," Naruto said. After a moment he continued, "He knows me too well, so I'm sure he figured I'd probably tell you. It's not like he asked me not to tell anyone."

"Alright, what'd he tell you?" Sasuke asked. He really wasn't that interested, but it was something to talk about, so it worked.

"Apparently, he likes Suigetsu," Naruto said. "But he doesn't think that the feeling is mutual apparently," the blonde shrugged. "If you ask me, it kind of seems like it is, but me and Suigetsu don't talk enough, so I'm not positive," he added.

"Is that your way of asking me if Suigetsu likes Kiba?" Sasuke asked as he propped himself up with one arm so he could look at Naruto.

"Maybe," Naruto said with a smile. "If you want to tell me, then yeah, it is," he added.

Sasuke sighed, "I don't know if I should tell you. I don't want Suigetsu to get mad at me." It was his way of indirectly saying, that he does indeed like Kiba.

"By that you mean, yes he likes Kiba, without actually saying it," Naruto smiled. "You know Suigetsu wouldn't care if you told me that he didn't like Kiba, but he might if he does," the blonde pointed out.

"Hn, I was hoping you'd figure that out," he chuckled.

"We should set them up," Naruto said excitedly. "It's perfect they both like each other, we can just push them into acting on it. We could do it over spring break," Naruto said as he started to think of ways for it to work.

"I want no part in this," Sasuke said. He could see all the ways in which it could come back to bite them in the ass.

"Come on, it'll be fun, and give us a reason to do something fun over spring break," Naruto smiled. "Think about it, we could rent a house down by the beach, which is beautiful that time of year, and make them room together while slowly pushing them together," the blonde said, trying to get the raven to agree.

"That sounds expensive," Sasuke said, trying to discourage the blonde.

"Not if everyone chips in, come on it'll be a lot of fun," Naruto pointed out. "Plus I'm not giving up until you agree," he grinned. "Oh, but if you agree, Haru is not coming," he added.

"Who said I'd want to invite Haru?" the raven asked, finding Naruto's jealousy to get rather old.

"No one, it's just I figured since he was your new friend you'd want to," the blonde bit his lip, wishing he wouldn't have brought it up.

"Moron, he's my lab partner, we don't even hang out outside of class," Sasuke sat up, getting fed up with how Naruto was acting.

"I know, it's just I don't want you to tell him about it and then have him ask to come along," Naruto said, trying to get himself out of the mess he was in. "I mean, I just don't trust him," Naruto added, digging himself a deeper hole.

"Then you should trust me," the raven said. "Who cares what he does or thinks? If you trust me then you shouldn't worry," he argued.

"I'm sorry, I do trust you," Naruto said calmly. "I just want us to have a fun break and not to have some other guy hitting on you during it," the blonde said as he pulled the raven to lie back down.

"He doesn't hit on me," Sasuke said. "He's just a friend," the raven said as he looked at his boyfriend.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I trust you, I won't bring him up again," the blonde promised. "I just want us to have fun over spring break," he smiled.

Sasuke sighed; he knew he'd give in eventually so he wasn't sure why he even bothered fighting it at that point. "Fine, let me call Kakashi and see if he'll let us use his beach house for spring break because I'm sure as hell not paying to rent one."

"So who exactly is Kakashi?" Naruto asked, he didn't want to sound jealous again, but he didn't know who he was. He didn't remember hearing that name before, so he wondered why. It sounded somewhat familiar, but he knew that Sasuke had never said it, _'Maybe I heard it before when I was talking to Iruka. Was that his boyfriend's name?'_

'_He's just not gong to stop being jealous, is he?' _Sasuke wondered as he looked at his boyfriend."Kakashi's an old family friend. He is kind of like a father to Itachi and me ever since our parents died. He tried getting custody of us after the accident, but Orochimaru won, probably only because of the fact that he has so much power with everything he owns in this city. Now Kakashi helps run the Uchiha business and trains my brother to take over the company eventually. He knows about what goes on and tries to help as much as he can, like making me go to therapy," Sasuke explained. He knew there was probably a lot more to the story that he was leaving out, but that was the cliff notes version of it.

"Oh, cool," said Naruto. "Sounds like a nice guy," he said.

"Hn, he can be cool sometimes. But he's mainly just an old pervert that likes to read porn," Sasuke said, causing Naruto to laugh a little. "I'll call him," Sasuke said as he got up and looked for his phone.

"Awesome, I'm going to go talk to Kiba," Naruto said as he also got up. "Let me know what he says," he said, the raven just nodded before Naruto walked out of the room.

Sasuke dialed Kakashi's number and waited a few rings before the man answered, "What's up Sasuke?"

"Hey, I need a favor," the raven started.

"Oh, I don't like the sound of that," Kakashi joked. He knew Sasuke wasn't one to ask for a favor, so it was always interesting when he did.

"I just want to use your beach house for spring break," Sasuke said. "Me and my friends want to do something fun, and they thought about going to the beach, but we don't really want to have to rent a house," the raven explained, choosing his words wisely. He didn't want it to turn into a conversation about Naruto; he'd never hear the end of it.

"You sound as if you're leaving something out," Kakashi pointed out. "Who are these friends? Just Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo?" he asked.

"Well yeah, them, and Naruto's friends," he said with a sigh, knowing where this conversation was going.

"Who's Naruto?" he asked, suddenly finding the conversation interesting.

'_Damn it,' _Sasuke thought, knowing that he'd made a mistake saying Naruto's name. "My roommate," Sasuke answered. He hoped that the conversation would end there, but he knew he wouldn't be so lucky.

"But you called him Naruto, which means he must be more than a roommate," Kakashi pointed out. He always found it fun to tease the boy.

Sasuke paused for a few moments before giving in with a sigh, "He's my boyfriend." He knew that Kakashi was going to start to tease him.

"Okay, but I have three conditions," Kakashi said. He was obviously happy, which meant he was going to say something to embarrass the raven.

"What are they?" Sasuke asked, dreading the rest of the conversations. He never liked Kakashi's conditions.

"First, no one goes in my room," he said. "Bring your own sex toys no stealing mine," he added as an after thought. "Second, you have to go to an other session of therapy before you go," Kakashi said. "A full one this time," he demanded, to make sure that he didn't just go for five minutes and duck out. "And lastly, no doing anything that I wouldn't do while you're there," he said with a laugh.

"Is there really anything you wouldn't do?" Sasuke asked in a bored tone. "Actually don't answer that," the raven sighed. "I'll try to get an appointment with Tsunade, I'm sure that she'll make room to see me," he sighed. "And really I wouldn't dream of going in your room, I don't want to know what you keep in there," Sasuke said, obviously disgusted by the idea.

"Okay, then have fun, and if you have sex, use protection and clean up after yourself," Kakashi said happily.

"Bye Kakashi," Sasuke said as he rolled his eyes. He already had a copy of the key, but he still had to make sure it was okay with Kakashi so that the man wouldn't be there when they wanted to. The problem was trying to get the man off the phone when he did call him.

**NS**

"Hey Kiba," Naruto said as he walked into the brunette's room. He had a mischievous smile on his face, which told Kiba not to trust him. The blonde sat down on the bed as he continued to smile.

"What do you want?" Kiba asked suspiciously. He knew the blonde had to be up to something.

"How would you like to go to the beach for spring break?" Naruto asked, still smiling. He was excited about his idea and Kiba wasn't sure why.

"That sounds great, but expensive," Kiba said as he looked at his best friend. He knew that sometimes Naruto got and idea in his head and then didn't think it through.

"Wow, that's what Sasuke said," Naruto laughed. "But it's not if we use Kakashi's beach house. He's like a father to Sasuke so I'm sure he'll let us," Naruto said. He knew Kiba wouldn't pass up a free beach house.

"What's the catch?" Kiba asked, as he looked at the blonde, still suspicious. _'There is always a catch when it comes to his ideas,'_ he reminded himself.

"Well people will have to share rooms," Naruto shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal," he added. "Sasuke and I are going to share and we were thinking you and Suigetsu could share. And then we'll work it out with whoever else wants to come, some may be stuck on a couch," the blonde explained.

"Why do I have to room with Suigetsu?" Kiba asked. He knew that Naruto knew about his crush on the other boy and figured that was the reason.

"Well, I just think you like each other," Naruto said. "It'd give you guys a chance to talk," he smiled. "Plus, you guys are already good friends so it'd work," he added.

"I knew you had an alternative motive," Kiba sighed. He looked at Naruto, who was smiling at him. He just shook his head as he said, "But you know how I'm not one to pass up a good time, especially if it's for free."

"So, you're in?" Naruto grinned.

"Yeah, I'm in," Kiba said, wondering what he was getting himself into.

**TBC…?**


	51. Protection

**I'm not going to write a full therapy session, you will have to use your imaginations as to what else Tsunade and Sasuke talk about…**

**In an odd way, Orochimaru's character reminds me of the song Lights Out by Breaking Benjamin …weird coincidence **

**There are 5 more chapters to go after this one; it's weird to be so close to the end of the story…**

**So, frixiewulf13 asked if I was going to do something in this story for Valentine's Day, I didn't really plan to do a Valentines Day chapter, but I could be talked into doing a related one shot that would probably happen sometime probably after last chapter or chapter 49 so it's not too close to spring break…let me know if you want to see a Valentine's Day one-shot, preferable before tomorrow so I could post it tomorrow**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 51: Protection**

Ino and Sai sat outside at a table, eating lunch. It was a rather nice day and they were talking about spring break and going with Naruto and Sasuke. "It'll be a lot of fun," Ino said with a smile.

"Yeah," Sai agreed. The table went silent for a moment before Sai said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, anything," Ino said. She was hoping that he was going to ask her out, but she wasn't going to just assume.

"I was wondering if, uh, you wanted to be my girlfriend," Sai said nervously. He wasn't sure if she had as good of a time on their date as he did, so he had been putting off asking her.

"I'd love to," she smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He just smiled, happy that she felt the same way.

**NS**

Hinata and Sakura sat in the pink haired girl's room. All of their other girl friends seemed to be busy. Sakura thought about what Ino was up to, knowing she was with Sai, which depressed her a little. "I hate being single," the pink haired girl said.

"Then why not go out with Lee?" Hinata asked timidly. She didn't understand why she didn't give the guy a chance.

"Because, it's Lee," Sakura said, as if that was supposed to explain everything. She had been battling within herself as to whether she should go out with him, so it was difficult for her to explain why she wouldn't go out with him.

"So?" she asked, confused as to what Sakura meant. "What's wrong with Lee?" she wondered.

"There's nothing _wrong_ with him, he's just," she paused. "I don't' know how to describe it," she said.

"Is it really fair not to give him a chance?" she asked. She knew it was difficult when someone liked you that you didn't like, but she also thought everyone should be given a chance.

"Probably not," Sakura sighed. She knew she should give him a chance, but she just didn't know if she could. "Maybe I'll give him a chance, I've been thinking about it, I just don't know if I should," she said. "I just need to think about," she let out a frustrated sigh.

"Sakura, not everything is about looks," Hinata said timidly. "You know that you're one of my best friends and usually I wouldn't say this, but you need to get over yourself," the dark haired girl said, finding a little bit of confidence.

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked angrily.

"You don't like Lee because of his looks," the timid girl pointed out.

"What's your point?" Sakura asked, getting irritated.

"Well, looks eventually fade," said Hinata, her voice more timid than the last time she spoke. "It's silly not to give someone a chance because of looks," she looked down, once again a little nervous.

"I said I'll think about it," Sakura said, a little angry. "What about you, do you like anyone?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"No," Hinata said timidly. "Kiba liked me, but I think he's moved on," she explained. "I didn't really like him anyway," she continued. "He's a great friend, but that's all," she frowned. She wished that she had felt something for him; it would have made everything easier.

"I guess we're just going to have to deal with being single then," Sakura sighed. "Life sucks," she huffed.

"There are worse things then being single," Hinata smiled. She still didn't understand why Sakura wouldn't give Lee a chance, considering how much she seemed to hate being single.

"It still sucks," Sakura said and Hinata just nodded.

**NS**

Sasuke sat in an all too familiar office. He hated going to therapy, but he promised Kakashi that he would. He knew if he didn't go then Tsunade would tell Kakashi and Kakashi would show up during spring break.

"Hello Sasuke," Tsunade smiled. "How have things been going for you? Anything new happen?" the woman asked.

Sasuke looked down for a moment as he said, "Things have been going okay lately." He sighed and said, "I told someone else about Orochimaru." He knew she was going to get everything out eventually, so he might as well tell her and just make it easy.

"Really now?" she asked. "Why did you tell them?" she asked. _'Well this is progress, finally,' _she thought as she smiled. She was happy that Sasuke was talking to someone about it; it showed the kind of progress that she wanted to see from him.

"The first person I told was my friend Juugo. He over heard Suigetsu and I talking so it just kind of made sense to tell him," Sasuke explained.

His words made Tsunade think the progress may not be as good as she thought._ 'Of course that's why he'd tell someone, that's always why he tells people,' _she thought, but kept on smiling. She didn't want to interrupt him from telling her everything else that was going on, so she kept silent, seeing that he was going to continue talking.

"The second person is my boyfriend, Naruto. I keep seeing Orochimaru around campus and he was wondering what was wrong, so I ended up telling him," he said. He knew that the woman knew Naruto, so he wasn't entirely comfortable talking about their relationship.

"A boyfriend?" she asked with a smile, knowing just whom he was talking about. _'Well good for him, maybe he actually is making progress,' _Tsunade thought with a genuine smile as she thought about the Naruto and Sasuke's relationship. "Has this been helping you with dealing with Orochimaru?" she was her next question.

"He has actually," he admitted, almost hesitantly because he'd heard how close Tsunade was to Naruto, the blonde called her granny after all. "He knows how to calm me down and is just always there to listen to me or distract me," Sasuke explained.

"And you said that you've been seeing Orochimaru around campus," she looked at Sasuke as she paused. "How have you been dealing with that?" she asked.

"Well," he hesitated. "It's a little unnerving because I'm pretty sure he knows my schedule," the raven paused, thinking about what he's been doing about it. "I took an online class this semester, which makes me not have to see him around campus as much."

"Anything else?" she asked. She knew that he always seemed to leave things out. She didn't want him to leave anything out, because she knew the last time that he hid things he ended up hurting himself, even if that was a long time ago.

"I also am taking classes with friends. Suigetsu is with me in my Economics class and Naruto is there in my English class. Naruto also walks me to Biology," he told her. "And I guess that I've kind of made a friend in my Biology lab class, he's also in my lecture class for Biology as well," he shrugged. "He doesn't know about what's going on, but he hangs out with me a little before and after class, so I guess that helps me deal with it," he paused as he thought about what else to say. "I always feel safer when I'm not alone," he added.

"I see," she said. "It's good that you're making more friends. You seem more relaxed this session," Tsunade said.

"I guess I am," he replied. He didn't know what else to talk about, or at least what else he wanted to talk about.

"Kakashi tells me you and your friends are going to the beach for spring break," Tsunade said. She was concerned about the boy because she knew that he didn't like taking off his shirt.

"Yeah," Sasuke frowned a little. He didn't really say anything else; he just looked down, finding the floor interesting. _'Damn it, why'd she have to bring that up?" _he frowned. He was trying to forget about the fact that he'd probably have to take his shirt off at the beach.

"I remember you telling me once that you didn't like taking your shirt off in front of people. I believe you said it was because of the bruises," she said. Tsunade wanted him to talk about it, not just try to forget about the subject _'Come on kid, don't be difficult.' _

"The bruises aren't there any more," he said as he looked down, he was more talking to himself than Tsunade, trying to make himself understand that the bruises were truly gone. "But I still don't want to take my shirt off in front of people," he sighed. "It feels as if they are still there, I know they aren't, but I can't help but be self-concisions about it," he explained. He hated being so open to a person, but he knew if he didn't cooperate it'd just get back to Kakashi and he'd have to be back in the office yet again.

"What do you plan to do at the beach?" she asked. She didn't want him to lock himself away the entire time he was at the beach. Tsunade felt it was important for him to have fun with his friends and not let Orochimaru dictate his life.

"Honestly, I'm not sure yet," he admitted. "I want to have fun, but I don't know that I can do that and take my shirt off at the same time," he said.

"It's important to have fun, but don't rush anything you're not ready to do," she told him. "You almost self-destructed before, I don't want that to happen again," she said.

"I know," he sighed. "But I think that I have better people around me this time," he added._ 'I have Naruto this time,' _he added in his head. The session lasted an hour and she continued to make him talk about things that he may not have wanted to talk about.

**NS**

Later that day, Sasuke and Naruto were walking through campus to go back to their dorm. "Guess what," Naruto said happily.

"What?" Sasuke asked, not wanting to play a guessing game.

"I got our time off of work approved for spring break," he smiled.

"Good job," Sasuke smiled back.

"I think I deserve a kiss for that," Naruto smiled. Sasuke just rolled his eyes, but kissed him anyway. "How was therapy?" the blonde asked.

"Good, I think I kind of needed it," the raven admitted.

Naruto grabbed his hand as he said; "You know you can talk to me if you ever need to."

"I know," Sasuke he said with a small smile. Before they could continue talking, Orochimaru appeared, he was walking close to them.

Naruto stopped walking, causing Sasuke to stop as well. "I can hurt him if you want," Naruto said. "In fact I want to hurt him," the blonde said angrily.

"Naruto, please just don't do anything," Sasuke said. "I already told you that it'll only make it worse," the raven said.

"I don't know, I think it'll make me feel pretty good to beat the crap out of that man," the blonde argued. He wanted to beat the man so badly that he wouldn't even be able to think about Sasuke again with out remembering the pain. "I just want to protect you," Naruto said.

"If you want to protect me then don't do anything," Sasuke said. He knew that Orochimaru would just get some kind of sick satisfaction out of Naruto attempting to hurt him. He also knew that the man would press assault charges. "Please, I don't want you to do anything stupid, I'll only cause more trouble for you," the raven said.

"Fine, but if you want him hurt, you just say the word," Naruto said. As they started walking once again, hand in hand, Naruto glared at the older man. He knew that he had to respect Sasuke's wishes and not hurt the man, no matter how badly he wanted to.

**NS**

Neji and Gaara were talking while sitting at a table. They had been doing some homework, but started talking instead. Temari saw them and felt disgusted, she couldn't believe that her brother would forgive Neji. She walked over to where they were sitting and asked, "Can I speak to my brother alone?" It was obvious that she wasn't going to take no for an answer as she pulled him away.

"What is it?" he asked. He knew it was going to be something about Neji so he didn't even bother to try to sound interested.

"I can't believe you forgave that jack ass," Temari said angrily. "What about how much he hurt you?" she asked.

"Look, I didn't tell you not to go out with Shikamaru, even though I was thinking it. You can't really say anything, you're going out with a guy who was indecisive for quite awhile, so I would think you of all people would understand," Gaara said angrily as he pulled his arm free of her grasp.

She sighed, "It's just he hurt you so badly." She hated the idea of her brother getting hurt yet again.

"And I will kill him if he does it again," Gaara said, sounding serious. "Just like I'm not going to let Shikamaru get away with it if he hurts you, I'm not going to let Neji get away with it either," he explained.

"Fine, but if he hurts you I get to help you hurt him," she said, wanting to protect her little brother.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he agreed before walking back to his boyfriend.

**NS**

It was the day that Kyuubi had to start dealing with the Uchiha Corporation. He was not looking forward to it, as he had a feeling that he knew who he was going to be working with. He hoped he didn't have to deal with Itachi, but he knew with his luck he would be. He was escorted to a room for the meeting, the woman then said, "Mr. Uchiha will be with you shortly.

When she walked out he found himself wanting to bang his head against the nearest wall. He knew that it'd be Itachi, no matter how much he was dreading seeing him. Their last conversation wasn't exactly friendly, so he wondered how the meeting would go.

"Good morning, Mr. Uzumaki," Itachi said as he walked in. "Can I call you Kyuubi, or are you still angry with me?" he then asked.

"I'm still angry with you, but you can call me Kyuubi anyway," the redhead answered, obviously not happy about their situation. _'It's just my luck that I'd have to work with him,' _Kyuubi growled in his head.

Itachi sat across from Kyuubi, "Look we're going to have to work together for a while; so can we at least be friends?"

Kyuubi was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. He didn't want to just forgive him, but he knew if he didn't then working together would be unbearable. "Yeah, I guess," said Kyuubi.

"Good, now that we've got that sorted out, let's get working," Itachi said. Kyuubi just nodded, wishing that he wasn't assigned to the project.

**TBC…?**


	52. Bowling

**The Valentine's Day one-shot relating to this story is posted; it takes place between chapters 50 and 51**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 52: Bowling**

Naruto and Sasuke were once again making out on Sasuke's bed. The blonde was making sure not to pressure his boyfriend. He kept his hands above the belt, mostly in the other boy's hair and on his chest. Sasuke on the other hand, had one arm around Naruto's neck and the other hand was holding onto one of his belt loops as he pulled the blonde as close to him as he could. Sasuke moaned into the kiss as Naruto's hand once again made it's way up his shirt.

He let him continue, as long as he didn't go for the pants. He may be a teenage boy, but it was going to take a lot more trust before he was comfortable getting that intimate with anyone. As they continued to make out, the door to their room opened. "Oh come on, can't you guys lock the door while you guys do that?" Kiba asked. "I mean, if the door is locked then I'll know to come back later," he sighed. "Or you could at least put some kind of sign," he suggested.

"Or you could just knock," Sasuke suggested, obviously pissed off. He pushed the blonde off so he could sit up and fix his appearance.

"It's not like I was getting any," Naruto shrugged, causing Sasuke to glare at him. "What it's true," the blonde said as Kiba rolled his eyes. "Don't be jealous just because I get to make out with my boyfriend while you don't have the balls to ask out the person you like," he said, directing the attention off of him and onto Kiba.

"It sure looked like it was going to become something more," Kiba mumbled. "And I'm not jealous," he growled.

"Right," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Speaking of Suigetsu, I haven't seen him all day," he added.

"You told him?" Kiba yelled, starting to get annoyed that Naruto and Sasuke were now taking each other's side and obviously telling each other things. He couldn't believe that his best friend would spill his secret.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out," Sasuke replied. "With the way you two look at each other, I'd have to be blind not to see it," the raven pointed out, not wanting to get Naruto in trouble with his best friend.

"Says the guy who took forever to realize that he likes Naruto," Kiba mumbled as he crossed his arms.

"So besides interrupting us, is there a reason you came over?" Naruto asked. He was trying to change the subject; he didn't need his best friend and boyfriend to be fighting.

"I just wanted to see what you guys were up to," Kiba said as he calmed down. "I was bored, I wanted to see if you guys wanted to hang out," he added.

"What do you wan to do?" Sasuke asked in a bored tone.

"We should go bowling, Naruto said excitedly as he sat up and fixed his hair.

"Have I ever told you that you have the mind of a ten-year-old," Sasuke asked with a smirk.

"All the time," Naruto grinned. "And you're dating me, so what does that say about you?" Naruto smirked back at him.

"I must be crazy," Sasuke chuckled while Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You know bowling is fun, don't try to deny it," he said in a knowing tone.

"Yeah, whatever, I'll call Suigetsu and see if he wants to join us. "We can play teams," he shrugged.

"See, you like bowling," Naruto said happily. "I knew it," he added as Sasuke sighed.

**NS**

Suigetsu was hesitant about going bowling with Naruto, Kiba, and Sasuke. He knew that he wasn't very good at bowling and that he would just embarrass himself. After much convincing from Sasuke, he eventually decided to join them. "If I have to suffer though this, so do you," Sasuke told him as they sat down at the bowling lane.

"He just won't admit he likes bowling," Naruto said as he set it up so that they were on teams. "Me and Sasuke against Kiba and Suigetsu. Sound good?" he asked.

"Yep," Sasuke answered. He didn't want to be on a team with Suigetsu, he knew that he wasn't that great at bowling.

Naruto was up first, he loved bowling and he was good at it. On his first roll he got a strike. "Yeah," he said cheerfully. "I think I deserve a kiss for that," Naruto said as he sat down next to Sasuke. The raven just chuckled and gave the blonde a quick kiss.

Suigetsu frowned as he watched the two. He couldn't help but want that with Kiba. He knew that he probably would never get what he wanted, but he could wish.

"It's your turn Suigetsu," Sasuke said as he looked at the scoreboard. He saw the look on the light haired boy's face and wondered what was wrong. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Suigetsu, smiling as he got up and took his turn.

By the last round, Naruto and Sasuke had won practically every round. Suigetsu and Kiba however, were starting to act a little like a couple. They'd give each other high-fives when the other did well and their hands would linger together a little longer than necessary. They sat close together whenever it was Naruto or Sasuke's turn to bowl and sometimes Kiba would unconsciously put his arm on the back of Suigetsu's chair, in turn putting his arm around Suigetsu.

Sasuke had leaned into Naruto's arms after he took his turn. He turned to the blonde and whispered, "I feel like we're on a double date."

Naruto couldn't help but break out laughing as he looked at Suigetsu and Kiba. The brunette had just gotten done bowling and Naruto couldn't help but agree with Sasuke as he saw their actions toward each other. "Why'd you have to point that out?" he asked in a whisper.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Kiba asked as he looked at Naruto and Sasuke. _'I just know they're talking about me and Suigetsu,' _he thought, suspicious of the others' conversation.

"Nothing, I was just telling the moron that it's his turn to go," Sasuke chuckled.

"Why don't I believe you?" Kiba asked as he looked at the two suspiciously.

"Well, we were trying to be nice and not talk about it in front of you guys, but if you want to hear me talk dirty to him, I'll talk louder," Naruto said with a smirk, causing Sasuke to blush and elbow him in the stomach. Neither Kiba nor Suigetsu responded, rather they just signaled the blonde to take his turn.

**NS**

The entire way back to the dorms, Kiba couldn't help but think about Suigetsu. He wasn't participating in the conversation much because the light haired teen was taking over his mind. He was all that Kiba could think about.

He had found it pretty obvious to himself that he had feelings for Suigetsu. His feelings were definitely not platonic he wanted something more. Kiba just wasn't sure if he should act on them. He wanted to act on them but he just wasn't sure how. They had become such good friends, if Suigetsu didn't feel the same way, he didn't want to lose that.

"We'll see you guys tomorrow," Naruto said as he opened the door to his and Sasuke's room.

"Night," Kiba and Suigetsu said before they started heading down the hall toward their rooms.

He wanted to say something and it seemed that it was the perfect time since they were alone. As they arrived at his dorm, he almost said it, but instead what came out was, "Suigetsu?"

"Yeah?" he said as he stopped walking toward his own dorm.

"Uh," Kiba started, having second thoughts about telling him. "Tonight was fun," he said lamely. He was disappointed with himself for freezing and chickening out.

"Yeah, I guess it was," Suigetsu smiled before turning to go to his dorm. He was kind of disappointed in the fact that all he wanted to say was that it was fun. He wanted love confessions, not friendly fun. Suigetsu just sighed as he walked into his dorm, he felt as if he'd never get what he wanted.

**NS**

The next morning, Naruto and Sasuke decided to go out for breakfast. They had to work that day, but wanted a nice breakfast date before they headed to work. They were talking and having a good time, everything seemed to be going great. That was when Sasuke saw Orochimaru sitting at the next table over. For a moment Sasuke went silent as he looked at the older man.

Naruto noticed Sasuke's sudden change in mood so he asked, "Is everything okay?" He looked to where the raven was looking and saw Orochimaru. "We can leave if you want," he said, concerned about his boyfriend.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and said, "Everything's fine, we don't have to leave." He concentrated on the blonde and ignored the fact that his guardian was sitting a table away. "I hate to admit it, but last night was fun," Sasuke said, trying to change the topic.

Naruto was hesitant at first, but then he saw that Sasuke was truly trying to ignore the fact that Orochimaru was there. "See, I knew sooner or later you'd admit it," the blonde grinned.

Sasuke just gave the blonde a little smile as he said, "Yes, somehow you make me do things that I didn't think I'd do and enjoy them. Must you gloat about it too?"

Naruto happily said, "I'm awesome like that."

"And so humble," Sasuke said sarcastically.

"As I've said before, you're the one that likes me, so what does that say about you?" Naruto laughed.

"That I must really think you're hot," Sasuke joked with a smirk.

"Well there's no denying that," Naruto said with a laugh. "But we both know you like me for more than just my looks," the blonde said as he pulled the raven's chair closer to his.

"Well, maybe just a little," Sasuke said with a small smile as the blonde pulled him into a kiss, which was eagerly returned.

Orochimaru sat at the other table, watching the two boys as he drank coffee. He couldn't believe how quickly Sasuke forgot about him, how the blonde seemed to make Sasuke forget that he was even in the room. He didn't like the diminishing effect that he had on Sasuke. The boy was supposed to freeze when he saw him; he was supposed to be terrified, it was part of what made him enjoy it. There was nothing for him to enjoy when Sasuke just ignored him._ 'Maybe I just haven't been around enough for him to remember why he should be scared, maybe I should remind him,'_ Orochimaru thought as he watched the two boys be blissfully ignorant to the fact that he was still there watching.

**TBC…?**


	53. Spring Break

**So this story now has 700 reviews…When my story To Warm The Coldest of Hearts got to 500 reviews, I wrote a one-shot of the readers choice…that kind of slipped my mind when this hit 500 so if you go onto my profile, I put up one-shot choices…vote and I'll write the winner…I'll give about two chapters until I close the poll, therefore it will close when I post chapter 55...there are only 4 choices, one of which will probably be added regardless of the poll...remember I do take request, so if you don't like any of the choices, feel free to request something else...if you want to do that, I have what is needed to request something on my profile**

**This isn't my favorite chapter, so let me know what you think…**

**As always, I own nothing, enjoy and please review…**

**Chapter 53: Spring Break**

It was finally spring break, the week each spring semester that the students looked forward to. It was the weeklong break from school that students wished they had during the fall semester also. "I love spring break," Naruto said from the front seat of Sasuke's car. He, Sasuke, Suigetsu, Juugo, and Kiba were all in the same car as they drove to Kakashi's beach house.

"So how close to the beach is this house?" Kiba asked from the back seat. He had moved his feet so that they were in the space between the two front seats, trying to be comfortable and making Juugo annoyed in the process.

"One, put your feet back on the floor before I cut them off," Sasuke said threateningly. "Two, it's not called a beach house for nothing dumb ass," he said. "It is literally on the beach," he added.

"It's true, you walk out the backdoor and the beach is right there," Suigetsu said, remembering one of the few times he'd been there.

They pulled up to the house, which made Naruto and Kiba's eyes practically sparkle with joy. "This is the house?" Naruto asked happily.

"Yep," Sasuke shrugged as he put his car into park. Their other friends weren't far behind as the other cars pulled up a few moments later.

"So, why don't you show us around the house," Naruto said once all of their friends got there. "I want to see where we're sleeping," he added with a small smirk.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes as he grabbed his things, "Follow me." He unlocked the house and walked in, with all of their friends following behind.

"First can someone help me carry my things in?" Sakura called from her car.

"Don't do it," Ino warned as she looked at the guys. She knew how much the pink haired girl packed. Sakura always seemed to over pack.

"I will help you," Lee said enthusiastically ignoring Ino's warning. He ran out to the car to get Sakura's things.

"You know we're only here for a week right?" Sasuke asked as he looked at the large pink suitcase that Lee brought in.

"It never hurts to be prepared," she responded with a smile.

"It does if you can't carry it," Sasuke argued. Sasuke just shook his head as he looked at the size of her suitcase compared to everyone else.

Naruto just laughed, "How did you get that thing in your car? I didn't think it was that big." He just smiled, he could see that she was a little offended and so he said, "You know what, don't answer that, let's just get back to this tour."

"Over there is the living room with four couches, anyone who doesn't want to share a bed can take those," Sasuke said as he pointed to where everything was.

"I'll take a couch," Juugo said, he didn't want to have to worry about rooming with anyone or fighting over a bed.

"Me too," Shino said. He liked his quiet and sharing a bed with someone didn't count as quiet. He just came so he could relax on the beach and see if he could find any interesting bugs to add to his collection.

"I call the third," Choji said. "I mean, I don't think anyone will really want to share a bed with me, I tend to hog the bed," he shrugged. He knew it would be rude of him to share with someone, considering that he'd probably kick the person off the bed.

"Can I have the last one?" Hinata said timidly, to which most nodded. She didn't want to have to end up sharing a room with a guy, so she asked for the last couch. She was fine sleeping in the living room with three guys, but sharing a bed with one was a different story.

"Okay then, that settles the question of whom gets the couches," Sasuke said. "You guys can go right in there, I'm just going to show everyone else their room," he said.

"There are six bedrooms in the house, five of which we can use," Sasuke said as they started walking toward the rooms. "One room has two beds, the rest have one," he said. "Naruto and I are sharing a room so are Suigetsu and Kiba," he explained as they started walking toward the rooms.

"Why are we sharing a room?" Suigetsu asked, confused since he never voiced an opinion about sharing a room with Kiba. The brunette remained quiet, even though he knew the real reason Naruto and Sasuke stuck them in a room together.

"Because I need someone to take Itachi's room and I don't trust those morons," Sasuke said indicating to the rest of the group. "I know you won't let Kiba touch anything in the room because you know that Itachi will kill you if you guys do," he said to Suigetsu.

"Alright, I get it," Suigetsu said with a nod. He wasn't going to argue with Sasuke; he knew if he did then he'd end up sleeping outside.

"You know where the room is, so you can show him and just take your stuff up there," Sasuke told Suigetsu.

The light haired teen just nodded as he said, "Come on Kiba." The brunette followed him up the stairs to the room. It always made Suigetsu a little nervous when he stayed in Itachi's room, he felt as though Itachi had a camera set up so he could kill him if he touched anything. He didn't have any other explanation as to how the man would know when he moved something even the slightest.

"Can we share a room?" Temari said as she grabbed Shikamaru's arm. She wasn't sharing with anyone except Shikamaru and if Sasuke tried to put the two of them in separate rooms, she'd tear him a new one.

"I don't care," Sasuke said as they went to one of the down stairs rooms. "You guys can take this one," he said signaling to the room on the left side of the hallway. He didn't really care who shared a room; he just didn't want any complaining later in the week.

"We'd like a room together as well," Neji said standing closely to Gaara.

"You can take the room across the hall," he said pointing to the room on the right side of the hallway. He wondered if putting the siblings across the hall from each other was a good idea, considering either liked the other's boyfriend. He decided that he didn't really care; they could work it out themselves.

"I guess that leaves Sai, Ino, Sakura, and Lee, to take the last one," Naruto chimed in. He found it funny because he knew that Sakura and Lee were going to have to share a bed since Sai and Ino were a couple. It wasn't that he liked seeing his friend miserable, he just hoped that it might show her that the two of them could get along.

"The room at the end of the hallway has two beds in it, you guys can decided who shares what, I don't care," Sasuke said as he pointed them towards their room. "Come on moron, I'll show you our room," he said, he wanted to get away before the bed fight, that was inevitably going to happen, started.

"Show the way," Naruto smiled as he followed Sasuke.

**NS**

Sai, Ino, Sakura, and Lee got to their room. "We're going to share right Ino?" Sakura asked, not wanting to be stuck sharing with Lee. She was looking at her as if to say _"you better say yes."_

"Actually, I wanted to share with Sai," Ino said. She knew that Sakura didn't want to share with Lee, but at that point she really didn't care. She was finally truly happy with someone, she wasn't going to let Sakura ruin that.

"I don't want to share with Lee," Sakura said quietly so that only Ino could hear her. She didn't want to completely offend Lee.

"Then you should have asked Hinata to stay in here instead," Ino rolled her eyes. "I mean it's not like we could have an all girls room, Tenten didn't want to come after what happened with Neji, Hinata wanted the couch, and Temari wanted to share with Shikamaru, it's not my fault. If it really bothers you that much go ask to switch with one of the guys and sleep on the couch," she whispered back.

"I want a bed, not a couch," Sakura whispered angrily.

"Well then suck it up and deal with it," Ino responded quietly. "It's just a sleeping arrangement, it's not like you'll be spending all day in bed," she added.

"Fine," Sakura sighed. She knew Ino wasn't going to change her mind, no matter how much she begged, so she was going to have to share with Lee. She sulked as she dug through her suitcase, trying to find a bathing suit._ 'I need to relax on the beach,' _she thought, knowing it would clear her mind to suntan.

**NS**

They walked up the stairs to the first door on the left. The room was somewhat large with a king size bed against the wall. "Nice room," Naruto said as he put his stuff down.

"Thanks, Kakashi seems to update it for me every year," he shrugged as he sat down on the bed. "I don't know why he bothers, I think he gets bored when he's out here on vacation. He knows he can't touch Itachi's so he changes mine each year," Sasuke said as he looked around the room. "Itachi and I used to share this room, but when my parents died Itachi took their room. I don't really go in there, too many memories, you know?" Sasuke said as he looked down.

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Naruto said gently. "Do you come here often?" he asked as he looked around the room. It didn't look as if it was used often and he figured that it wasn't.

"Not as much as I'd like to," Sasuke sighed. "We used to come here all of the time when my parents were alive, but once Orochimaru took custody of me and my brother, he seemed to limit how much time we got to spend with Kakashi," the raven explained as he sat on the bed and started to unpack his things.

"Well then let's make the most out of our time here," Naruto smiled as he practically pounced on Sasuke, causing him to lie back on the bed as the blonde straddled him.

"We're supposed to go to the beach today moron," Sasuke said as the blonde started to kiss him. He knew if they started making out then they may never make it down to the beach.

"We will, later," Naruto said as he continued to kiss Sasuke, who eventually gave in and kissed him back.

There was a knock on the door, making Sasuke break the kiss. "Come in," he called as he pushed the blonde off of him. Sasuke couldn't help but think, _'It seems someone has learned his lesson about knocking.' _

Naruto pouted a little as he sat up and looked at the door as Suigetsu walked in. "What do you want," the blonde asked. _'This better be good,'_ he thought. _'And fast so I can go back to kissing Sasuke,'_ he looked at the light haired teen, peeved by the interruption.

"Oh stop looking at me like that, you have plenty of time to make out later," Suigetsu told the blonde. "We're all going down to the beach, do you guys want to come?" he asked, directing the question more towards Sasuke since he knew the blonde would probably say no so he could make out with the raven.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied. "We do," he added as he looked at Naruto as if to say, _"Don't argue with me." _

"We'll be right down," Naruto sighed as he got up to get his swim trunks out of his bag.

Once again directing his question at Sasuke, Suigetsu asked, "Are you sure? You don't have to come."

"I'll be fine," Sasuke answered. "We'll be down in a minute," he said, shooing him out of the room.

"I'll be back up here if you guys aren't," Suigetsu joked, thinking a minute would probably turn into an hour if Naruto had any say about it. He walked out of the room, wondering if they'd even make it down to the beach.

After the two boys got dressed, Naruto looked over at Sasuke and saw he still had a shirt on. "You're wearing a shirt to the beach, what's the point?" the blonde wondered. "I mean you're just going to take it off to go in the water right?" he asked.

"I think I'm actually going to read," Sasuke answered. "I don't like swimming much," he shrugged, it wasn't a complete lie, he'd rather read than swim.

"Where's the fun in that, you can read anywhere," Naruto said, not giving up. "I promise, it'll be fun," he smiled.

"Look I just don't like taking my shirt off," the raven replied. He didn't look at the blonde, he didn't like showing anyone that he was insecure about things.

"Is this because of what he used to do to you?" Naruto asked, realizing that Sasuke said he always left bruises where people wouldn't see them. He remembered that when he walked in on Sasuke that one time, he had bruises on his chest, so it would make sense that he wouldn't take his shirt off because of that. Sasuke didn't answer his question, confirming what Naruto thought. The blonde walked over to his boyfriend putting his hands on the other boy's shoulders. "Look at me," he said making Sasuke look up as he put a hand under his chin, so that Sasuke couldn't look down. "The bruises aren't there any more, there's nothing to hide," he assured him.

Sasuke broke away from the blonde's hold and sat down on the bed. He looked down as he said, "That doesn't mean that I want to take my shirt off."

Naruto walked over to him, "Come on; lift up your arms."

"Naruto stop it," Sasuke sighed. He didn't understand why Naruto was being so persistent about it.

"Just lift them up," Naruto ordered him again. Sasuke sighed and did what he was told. The blonde took off the raven's shirt and then looked at him and said, "See you're beautiful, despite what he did to you."

"Really must you call me beautiful?" Sasuke glared at him. He felt that beautiful was how people described girls, not guys.

Naruto knelt down so that he was eye level with Sasuke as he gave him a gentle kiss as he said, "I can't help it; you are." He kissed him again and said, "But if you don't like it I can call you gorgeous." He then kissed the other boy's neck as he continued, "Or stunning." He kissed the other side and said, "Or handsome." He kissed him once again, "I could go on, but I think you get the point."

By the end of Naruto's series of complements, Sasuke was blushing. He couldn't help but smile a little at the blonde's words. "Yeah, I get it," he said as he looked up at Naruto, who had stood up and backed away a little in hopes that Sasuke would stand up.

"So will you go to the beach now?" Naruto asked with a hopeful smile. "You don't have to," he said as he handed the shirt back to Sasuke, but I think it'd be more fun if you did.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment, thinking about it; he put the shirt down on the bed. "Yeah, let's go," he agreed. He stood up and took a deep breath and followed the blonde out of the room.

**NS**

Sasuke still decided to read, rather than go in the water. He was telling the truth when he said that he didn't like going in the water that much. Naruto however, had other plans. "Put the book down," the blonde said when he walked up to his boyfriend.

"Why?" Sasuke said as he looked up.

Naruto grabbed the book from his hands and threw it in the sand. He picked Sasuke up bridal style as he said, "Because you're getting wet."

"Naruto put me down!" Sasuke yelled, trying to get out of the blonde's hold.

"As you wish," Naruto smirked as he dropped the other boy into the water.

Sasuke stood up, soaking wet, "You're dead!" Sasuke started chasing the blonde, who was laughing the entire time. "Get back here you moron," Sasuke yelled, angry with his boyfriend.

Sasuke caught up to him, tackling him and ended up straddling him. "If this is what you do when you catch me, I'm totally fine with being caught," Naruto grinned.

Sasuke glared at him, "You're a moron." He went to get up only to be pulled back down by Naruto. The blonde started kissing him, Sasuke didn't want to kiss him back because he was mad, but as usual he ended up giving in and kissing back.

Kiba and Suigetsu were sitting on the beach, near the water so that during each wave water would hit their feet. "Must they make out every chance they get?" Kiba mumbled.

"They're happy," Suigetsu shrugged. "I think that's the happiest I've seen Sasuke in a while, so I really don't mind," the boy smiled as he looked over at the other boys.

"I guess you're right," Kiba said, looking away from Sasuke and Naruto. He stared out at the ocean, thinking about Suigetsu. He didn't understand why he was feeling the way he did.

"What's on your mind?" Suigetsu asked, seeing that Kiba was obviously distracted.

Kiba was quiet for a little while, wondering if he should talk about it with Suigetsu. He knew he could always ask Naruto. "How did you know when you were attracted to guys?" he finally asked.

Suigetsu, who was taking a drink of water from his water bottle, choked a little. He thought about the question a moment and answered, "Well, I'd see a guy and find him attractive, that was kind of my first sign. When I started to find guys hot, I started to question my sexuality. It really hit me though when I got my first crush on a guy, you know? When I started to feel kind of like a little schoolgirl with her first crush. Then I realized I felt differently for him than I did any of my other friends, it was pretty obvious to me that I liked him as more than a friend and that I wasn't completely straight. I mean you can only lie to yourself for so long." Suigetsu paused for a moment and then said, "But I still found girls hot, so I knew I wasn't completely gay either."

Kiba just nodded as he thought about himself. He wondered if Suigetsu was his sign that he wasn't really straight. He knew that he'd dated girls and found girls attractive, but he also found himself attracted to Suigetsu. "Oh, okay," he said, still looking out at the ocean.

"Why'd you want to know?" Suigetsu asked. He didn't want to get his hopes up that Kiba might be questioning his sexuality, but it sounded that way to him.

"I was just wondering," Kiba shrugged. Suigetsu knew that was all that the brunette was going to say about the topic, so he let it go.

**TBC…**


	54. I Love You

**This chapter will have a lime, if you don't want to read it, stop reading once Sasuke nudges Naruto and then an NS, after the second NS after the nudge you should be fine…Also, I made the lime have NaruSasu implications, if you want to pretend that it's SasuNaru, go ahead I really don't go into that much detail…**

**I feel parts of this are a little cliché, but oh well….**

**Sakura's portion of this is somewhat inspired by the song Soul Mate by Natasha Beddingfield **

**Naruto and Sasuke, I feel the song Teenage Dream by Katy Perry kind of fits them**

**I decided to post this, this morning because I knew that I probably wouldn't feel like it much tonight…don't forget you have until I post chapter 55 to vote on the poll…I'll probably take it off of my profile sometime tomorrow…**

**As always I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 54: I Love You**

Spring break had shown to be relaxing for everyone. They made a fire in the fire pit outside the house. Most of them were sitting around it, since the beach got cold at night and it was a nice way to warm up. Suigetsu and Kiba, however, were once again sitting by the water. This time however, they did not stick their feet in the water and had sweatshirts on to keep them warm. "It's a beautiful night," Suigetsu said as he looked up at the stars.

"Yeah, it is," said Kiba as he looked over at Kiba and smiled. In that moment he wanted to kiss him but he wasn't sure how it would go over._ 'Just do it, be a man and go for it,'_ Kiba thought, as he gave himself a little pep talk. He knew that last time he'd kissed the other boy he was pushed off. "Suigetsu?" the brunette said, causing the other boy to look over at him.

"Yeah?" he asked as he looked at the brunette. His heart started to race from the look that he was receiving.

Kiba hesitated a moment, but decided to go for it. He leaned over and initiated a kiss. Suigetsu was shocked at first, wondering what was going on. Once the light haired boy regained his senses, he responded to the kiss. Suigetsu lay back on the sand, pulling Kiba with him as they continued to kiss. The kiss got deeper as it continued, as Kiba hovered over the other boy fighting for dominance in the kiss.

Suigetsu broke the kiss, "What the hell is going on?" Suigetsu was confused; he wasn't sure what it all meant. Last time Kiba kissed him it was to test his sexuality and it seemed that he was questioning his sexuality again the night before, which made Suigetsu wonder if it was just another test.

"I think that I like you," Kiba admitted. "So, I'm trying to test it to make sure,"  
he explained.

"Well, you know what they say about tests, right?" Suigetsu smirked at the boy on top of him.

"No what?" Kiba asked with a small smile.

"It's best to repeat them to make sure it's accurate," Suigetsu smirked.

"Then I guess we better," Kiba said as he started to kiss the other boy again. It quickly was deepened again. _'I can't believe I waited so long to do this,'_ Kiba thought.

"Kiba, Suigetsu," they heard from a distance, making both look up, causing Kiba to straddle the other boy. They recognized the voice as Shino, who must have pulled the short straw and had to go look for them.

Suigetsu just laughed a little at the thought of Shino finding them in that position, "We should get back."

"Yeah, we probably should," said Kiba, still straddling him. He leaned back down and gave Suigetsu a short but passionate kiss. "Let's go," he then said as he got off the other.

"You go ahead, I'll be right there," Suigetsu smiled. He needed to think a little, he couldn't believe that they had just started making out without even talking about it.

"Alright, I'll see you back at the house," Kiba said. His heart was beating rapidly; he thought that it might burst out of his chest. He looked at the ground as he walked away, wondering, _'What if he regrets what happened or if he was just caught up in the moment? I need to talk to him, maybe when we get back to the school.'_

**NS**

Sakura looked at the fire, she was feeling lonely being around so many couples. She looked at Neji and Gaara who were obviously happy; Gaara was sitting in the longhaired boy's arms, leaning against his chest. She remembered all of the things Neji said about destiny and wondered if there was someone for everyone, then why she was alone. She looked over at Lee, who had been trying to talk to her all night.

"What can I do to make you love me?" Lee asked as he looked at Sakura.

She didn't know what the answer was, she didn't know if he could make her love him. She couldn't just change him to fit her mold of what she thought was perfect. She didn't answer the question but instead looked around the fire.

She saw Temari and Shikamaru a little ways away looking up at the stars, holding hands. Naruto and Sasuke were making s'mores, or more Naruto was as Sasuke sat next to him, eating them. She watched them for a few moments, realizing they were really happy. Every now and then Naruto would smear chocolate on the raven's face and Sasuke would almost always retaliate in some way, usually a little kick in the leg.

Naruto put a line of chocolate down the raven's cheek. "Stop it, moron," Sasuke demanded. "And give me something to clean this off or I'm using your shirt," he added.

"Okay," said Naruto with a grin that said he was plotting something.

"Whatever you're thinking, don't," Sasuke said as he looked at his boyfriend. He remembered how Naruto cleaned off his face on Valentine's Day and with the look he was getting he had a feeling it would be a repeat performance. The blonde didn't listen as he leaned over and licked the chocolate off the other's face. "Idiot that was gross the first time and it's still gross this time," the raven said as he wiped the other's spit off of him.

Naruto just smiled as he said; "Yet you love me." Sasuke just rolled his eyes, not denying the other boy's statement, causing the blonde to grin.

Sakura just gave a small smile at the boys; she knew that she had to be happy for them. She was never going to be with Sasuke, so she should be happy for him. _'Oh, what the hell do I have to lose? ' _Sakura thought as she looked over at Lee. "Come on Lee, let's go watch a movie," Sakura said as she got up.

"Okay," he said excitedly following the pink haired girl.

'_What the hell just happened?' _the raven thought in shock. Once Sasuke got over his shock, he said, "The movies and DVD player are in the entertainment set."

"I never thought that would happen," Naruto said as he watched the two as they walked inside.

"Me either," Sasuke agreed with a small chuckle.

"Good for her, she's moving on," Ino added to the conversation. She was leaning on one of the log-like seats that made up the seating area by the fire. Her and Sai were sitting close together as they all ate Naruto's s'mores.

"Come on, I want to go for a walk," Naruto said as he got up, holding out his hand for Sasuke to grab.

"Alright," Sasuke said, getting up and following the blonde.

They held hands as they started to walk in comfortable silence. They were walking along the beach, looking at the waves. They were long out of hearing range of their friends when Naruto said, "It's a beautiful night out."

"Yeah, it is," agreed Sasuke as he looked out toward the ocean. "Why'd you want to go for a walk?" he then asked as he looked at Naruto.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, actually," Naruto said as he felt his heart race. _'You can do it, you can do it,' _he thought to himself.

"What'd you want to talk about?" Sasuke asked cautiously. He didn't understand why the blonde would pull him away from all their friends just to talk.

"I just," he was trying to find the right way to say it, he knew that any way he said it probably wouldn't be right. He looked down as he asked, "Is it too soon to say I love you?"

Sasuke felt his heart race as he heard the blonde's words, "I hope not." Naruto looked up to see the raven had a small smile on his face.

"Good, because I love you," the blonde admitted, hoping to hear the words reciprocated. He knew he couldn't force Sasuke to feel the same way, but he hoped that the raven did.

Sasuke closed the small distance between them as he kissed him. It was a light kiss and when he pulled away he said, "I love you too." The words came out a little shaky, because he hadn't truly said those words since his parents died.

"You're not just saying it to so that I don't feel stupid right?" Naruto asked, not wanting to be led on. "Or you know, not to hurt me?" he added to the question.

"When have I ever worried about making you feel stupid?" Sasuke asked. "You should know by now that I don't really take people's feelings into consideration," he said with a small laugh.

"You're right, what was I thinking?" Naruto joked before he once again kissed the raven. It was that moment that he realized; he had nothing to worry about as far as Haru was concerned. He knew that Haru would always just be a lab partner.

The two walked back to the house hand in hand. They didn't say anything, but it wasn't awkward. They were just happy being in each other's company, which was all that mattered.

Once they got back to the fire, Sasuke sighed and said, "I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed." He looked at Naruto and discretely nudged him as he walked past the blonde, hoping he'd get the hint.

"What, oh," Naruto said as he realized what Sasuke wanted. "I'm tired too, I'm going to go to bed," the blonde said with a smile, a little too excited as he followed the raven. All of them just shook their head, knowing that Naruto wasn't tired and that they certainly weren't going to bed to sleep.

**NS**

Once Naruto got upstairs, he heard the shower running that was connected to the room. The house was custom built, so Sasuke's, Kakashi's, and Itachi's rooms all had a shower connected. The blonde knocked on the door before walking in. "So, can I join you?" Naruto said as he walked over to the shower.

"Well, I'm sure you need one," Sasuke said, causing the blonde to take off his clothes and get in.

"Who says I want a shower?" Naruto asked as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke from behind.

"I'm not having sex in a shower, moron," Sasuke responded as he turned toward his boyfriend.

"Then why are we in a shower?" Naruto asked with a smirk.

"Because I'm also not having sex with you when you have sand god knows where," Sasuke responded before giving the blonde a quick kiss.

"Then I guess you'd better wash me," Naruto said in the raven's ear, causing a shiver to go down his spine. Naruto kissed Sasuke as the other boy rubbed soap into his chest. Naruto grabbed the soap, squeezing some into his hands before he ran them down Sasuke's back, until he got to the other boy's butt. He grabbed Sasuke's ass as he continued to kiss the other boy. By that point, they were both completely turned on and just letting the water wash off all of the soap. "Are you sure you want to do this? You said you wanted to take thinks slow," Naruto stopped the kiss; he wanted to make sure that Sasuke wasn't just acting on impulse.

"Yes, I'm sure," said Sasuke, happy that the blonde was thinking about his wishes. "Come on, bedroom, now," he ordered as he shut the water off.

Naruto grabbed his hand and pulled him back, "First we have to dry off, we wouldn't want to get the bed wet. He had the smirk on his face that told Sasuke he was going to torture him. The blonde grabbed a towel and started to dry himself off and once he was dry, he started to dry off the raven, slowly.

"We're dry, come on moron," Sasuke said pulling his boyfriend out of the bathroom. Naruto just chuckled and let the raven pull him into the room.

When they got to the room Sasuke pushed the other boy down on the bed and then climbed on top of him. He started to kiss the blonde, battling for dominance, which once Naruto turned them over the blonde won.

The blonde started to kiss down the raven's neck and chest. "Naruto," Sasuke moaned as Naruto's tongue passed over his nipple. "More," the raven couldn't help but moan.

"Soon," Naruto said as he kissed the raven again. He loved the way his name sounded when Sasuke moaned and he wanted to make Sasuke's night as enjoyable as he could. He knew that the boy had been hurt enough; he just wanted to give him pleasure.

"Just fuck me, Naruto," Sasuke said in a lust filled voice as their bodies rubbed against each other, making wonderful friction.

"We're going to take this slow," Naruto smiled as he kissed the raven and continued to rub against him. He heard Sasuke moan again and he smiled, "Don't worry babe, when we're done, you'll be happy that I took my time."

**NS**

Gaara sat in between Neji's legs with the brunette's arms around him. He was thinking about their relationship and if it was right for him to have made Neji choose. He looked at his boyfriend and said, "Neji?"

"Yeah?" the older boy looked down. He had been wondering what the redhead was thinking about, but he didn't want to pry so he didn't ask.

"Are you happy with the choice you made?" he asked. He didn't want to sound insecure, but he'd never had anyone other than his family truly care about him. Naruto had invited him into the group and was a friend, but that wasn't really the same.

"I told you, fate brought us together," Neji answered. "I wouldn't have it any other way," the brunette smiled down at the boy who was leaning on him.

The redhead just nodded, trying to hide the small smile, which threaten to cross his face.

**NS**

Juugo, Choji, Hinata and Shino sat watching all of their friends. While their friends seemed to be pairing up, the rest of them were single. Hinata didn't worry, she knew one day she'd find the one and didn't mind being single for a little while. "They all seem so happy," Hinata commented.

"I'm sure they are," Shino said as he tried to find bugs in the sand. It was all he could really do to entertain himself on the trip that he'd been practically dragged onto.

"I don't think he really cares," Choji pointed out, talking about Shino.

"As long as they're happy, that's all the matters, right?" Juugo said as he looked at the group he was sitting with.

"That is very true," Hinata smiled. She liked Juugo as a friend; he seemed rather nice, though from what she's heard she wouldn't want to get him angry.

"So, I see Kiba, but where's Suigetsu?" Choji asked as he looked around the camp. He hadn't seen the light haired teen since he and Kiba walked off, so it was strange he wouldn't come back with him.

"I'll go find him," Juugo said as he got up. The others just nodded as the tall teen walked away.

**NS**

Juugo found Suigetsu still sitting on the beach where Kiba and he had been sitting. "What are you doing out here?" Juugo asked.

"Thinking," was Suigetsu's simple response. The light haired teen was looking up at the stars, trying to figure out his life.

"Want to talk about it?" Juugo asked. He didn't know if he'd be able to help him, but he could at least try.

Suigetsu sighed, "Yeah sure, after all I don't see Sasuke around to talk to." He didn't mean the sentence to be rude; he just meant that Sasuke was his usual go to person. After a few moments of silence, Suigetsu finally came out and told what was on his mind, "Kiba kissed me."

"Do you like him?" Juugo asked. He was pretty sure that the other boy did, he just didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"Yes," Suigetsu said. "But now I'm confused. One day he's straight and the next he's kissing me. And then it seems like we got it worked out to be friends and then he kisses me again," Suigetsu explained, in a rambling, somewhat cryptic fashion. "I mean what does that even mean?" he asked.

"I have the feeling that I'm not getting the entire story, but, it seems like the guy likes you," Juugo shrugged.

"Maybe," Suigetsu said as he looked out the water. He was trying to figure out what was going on with him and Kiba. _'Was it just another test, or does this mean that he actually is sure that he likes me?' _Suigetsu debated in his head which one it could be and he realized he was going to just have to talk to Kiba about it.

**TBC…?**


	55. Back To School

**You know, I'm always surprised when I get a new reader for this story…I didn't really think anyone would take the time to read over 50 chapters…but I'm glad they do…it also surprises me how many people have reviewed on this**

**The polls to pick the one-shot are now closed and I will get working on it…Enchanted won in the poll, so I'll post that as soon as it's written…however, just because the story won, doesn't mean that I won't write the others…there are a few that I've been wanting to write… **

**Only one chapter left to go…that's a little sad actually, but next chapter is one of the longest chapters I've written for this story, its just over 3000 words…so as long as I don't change anything to it in editing that's about how long it will be…**

**I own nothing, enjoy and please review**

**Chapter 55: Back To School**

School was back in session and the group had come back from vacation. Suigetsu and Kiba still hadn't talked about the kiss, at least not to each other. Suigetsu and Sasuke were in the raven's room talking, while Kiba and Naruto were in the brunette's room.

"I don't know what to do," Suigetsu said, borderline freaking out. "And you were no help whatsoever. You nowhere to be found when I needed someone to talk to," Suigetsu was frustrated and pacing the room.

"Sorry, I was having some fun with my boyfriend," the raven shrugged. "Maybe if you just admitted to the guy you liked him, you two could be doing the same," Sasuke suggested.

"One, I don't need to know about your sex life," Suigetsu started. "And two, you're still not helping," he finished.

"I gave you my advice," Sasuke said. "Just tell him, don't be like me and Naruto and take an entire semester to get together, trust me, it's stupid to wait," Sasuke chuckled.

Suigetsu was starting to get annoyed. Ever since spring vacation Sasuke had been too happy to be normal for Sasuke. His and Naruto's relationship was obviously going great, but that didn't mean that he had to be useless when helping him, so he once again said, "Your advice isn't really helping."

"Well, then I don't know what to tell you," Sasuke collapsed on his bed. "I mean, what do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell you to hide your feelings and avoid him? Because I'm not going to," Sasuke said, trying to get it through the other boy's head.

"What if he doesn't feel the same, what if it was really just one of his little tests?" Suigetsu asked, over thinking the entire situation.

"Why would he continue to kiss you if he didn't like you?" Sasuke pointed out. Suigetsu didn't answer; instead he was just trying to figure everything out on his own. I mean you said he kissed you twice, right? You don't kiss twice for a test," the raven added, in the kind of tone that said_, _don't be stupid, which was what Suigetsu was sure the other boy wanted to say.

**NS**

"What am I supposed to do? I went for it and then we didn't talk, this is just going to be like the last time I kissed him and it was all awkward," Kiba panicked. The brunette lay back on his bed as he looked up at the ceiling, talking too fast for Naruto to fully understand.

"Just tell him," the blonde suggested. "Rather than kissing him, use your words," he smiled. "Trust me, it works a whole lot better," the blonde added as he thought about winter break.

"You know, you probably wouldn't be telling me to tell him if you and Sasuke hadn't gotten together," Kiba mumbled. He'd notice that ever since the two had gotten together, Naruto's advice had been about going for it. "I don't know why I ask anymore, you just keep giving me the same answer," he rolled his eyes.

"It's not because of Sasuke, it's because I know how happy you'd be if you'd just go for it," the blonde responded.

Kiba didn't answer, so Naruto pulled him up on his feet. "What the hell are you doing?" the brunette asked as his best friend started pulling him toward the door.

"You'll see," Naruto smiled as he thought his idea was brilliant. They arrived at the blonde's room and Naruto pulled Kiba, making the other boy fallow him into the room.

"What's going?" Sasuke asked as he looked at the two. He had a feeling he knew what Naruto was up to, but he had to make sure.

"You two are going to talk," Naruto said as he shut the door so Kiba couldn't get out. "And you're not getting out until you figure this thing out," he smirked. "Me and Sasuke are going to be on the other side of the door making out, if you try to leave, we'll know," he said as he heard the connected shower turn on. "And it looks like our neighbors are using the shower, doesn't that suck for you?" he laughed, knowing they'd have nowhere to hide from each other. He walked toward the door with Sasuke following.

"Sasuke," Suigetsu said angrily with a glare. The raven just shrugged as he walked of the door.

Once the door closed, there were a few moments of silence between the two. "We really should talk about it," Kiba gave in.

Suigetsu looked at his friend and asked, "What is there to talk about?" He sat on the bed and said, "I mean, we kissed, there's really nothing else to say right?"

"Well, I have something that I need to say," Kiba said as he sat on the other bed. Suigetsu looked at him to go on. "I like you, not like a friend," he admitted. "I didn't kiss you because of a test, I kissed you because I wanted to," he made clear. "Did it mean anything to you?" he asked, expecting rejection.

"Did it to you?" Suigetsu asked, still shocked by what Kiba had said. He didn't want to look like an idiot by confessing that it did until Kiba actually confirmed it.

"I think I made it pretty clear that it did," Kiba said nervously.

"It did to me too," Suigetsu smiled. "So what does this make us?" the light haired teen bit his lip.

"I hope it makes you my boyfriend," the brunette said with hope in his voice.

Suigetsu just nodded as he made his way over to the bed Kiba was sitting on, sat next to him and kissed him. It was a short but very passionate kiss before Suigetsu pulled away and said; "I guess we should let them back in their room."

"Or we could make them walk in on us like they always do to us," Kiba laughed.

"I don't really think they would care," Suigetsu responded with a small laugh.

"I guess you're probably right," the brunette agreed as they got up.

"You know I can hear you in there," Naruto yelled through the door. "You better be on Sasuke's bed, not doing it on mine," the blonde added before the other two opened the door.

**NS**

Sasuke had left Naruto to supervise Kiba and Suigetsu's process alone. He and Haru decided to meet up to study for the biology test they had later that week, which made Naruto complain. Sasuke knew that the blonde didn't like Haru much, but he had to study for the test. "Hey, glad you could make it," Haru smiled when Sasuke walked over to the table he was sitting at.

"Well I wasn't doing much, just trying to get to friends to stop being idiots," he shrugged as he sat next to the other boy.

"Sounds fun," the blonde laughed. He looked over at Sasuke, _'It's now or never, just do it.'_

"Are you okay? You just started staring with a blank look on your face," Sasuke said, a little concerned.

"Promise not to get mad?" Haru asked with an unsure smile.

"That depends, what would I get mad at?" Sasuke asked as he looked at the other boy.

"This," Haru said as he grabbed Sasuke's face, pulling him into a kiss. He tried to deepen the kiss, but Sasuke's mouth was sealed shut.

"Get off of me," Sasuke said as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "What the hell was that?" he asked angrily. He couldn't believe Naruto was right.

"I like you," Haru admitted. "A lot," he added as he looked down. "I just wanted to see if I had a chance," he explained as he looked back up at Sasuke.

"I have a boyfriend, what the hell are you thinking?" the raven asked as he got up, grabbing his things. He knew that he couldn't continue to talk to Haru, it'd bee too awkward. He just hoped that Naruto didn't kill the other blonde when he found out what happened.

"Look I'm sorry, we can still be friends right?" Haru pleaded, hopeful.

"Naruto doesn't trust you," Sasuke told him. "Now I see why," he shook his head. "I think it's best if we just try to get new lab partners, or at least don't talk outside of class," the raven frowned.

"Why, did you like it?" Haru smirked a little. He figured that if Sasuke didn't want to talk anymore, that must mean that he felt something. In Haru's mind, he thought that they still could be friends once the awkwardness of the rejection passed, so he didn't know why Sasuke didn't think the same.

"No, because when I tell Naruto what happened, I'm sure that if you come with in arms reach of me, he'll probably rip off your arm," the raven said, in a matter of fact tone of voice. Sasuke knew how jealous Naruto could get, he didn't think that he'd take the news that Haru kissed him very lightly.

"Then don't tell him, we can still be friends," Haru tired, hoping that Sasuke would just give in.

"Naruto trusts me, I'm not going to break that just because you like me," the raven said. "I'm sorry if I gave off the impression that I like you as more than a friend, but I don't," he added as he grabbed the last of his things.

"Come on Sasuke, don't be like that," Haru practically whined.

"Goodbye Haru," Sasuke said as he walked away from the other boy. _'Damn it, how could I not have seen that coming?' _he wondered as he walked away to find Naruto.

**NS**

Itachi, Kisame, and Kyuubi were sitting in a room working. Every now and then Kyuubi and Itachi would harmlessly flirt. Kisame felt like punching the redhead every time he made a move on Itachi. He knew that they were just playing, but that didn't make it any better.

"Hand me a pen, hot-stuff," Kyuubi smirked. Itachi just gave him the pen, ignoring the comment.

'_Must he always flirt with Itachi?' _Kisame thought as he watched the two interact. _'And must Itachi encourage it?" _glared at the redhead. "Itachi, can I talk to you in the hall?" Kisame said angrily.

Itachi nodded and said, "We'll be right back." They walked out of the room and the older Uchiha turned to him and asked, "What was so important that we had to talk about it right now?" He looked at his boyfriend expecting an explanation, "You know we have a deadline."

"So my conversation isn't okay, but you and Kyuubi's flirting is?" Kisame asked, angry with the two.

Itachi looked back at the window at Kyuubi and then turned to his boyfriend, "It's harmless flirting, which I might add isn't stopping us from working, and he knows I'm in a relationship."

"That doesn't mean that he respects that," Kisame mumbled as he crossed his arms.

"You're acting like a child, now stop it and let's go back into the room," Itachi ordered.

"Why so I can watch you two flirt?" he rolled his eyes. "I mean do you really have to encourage him?" the man asked.

"Why can't you just try to be friends with him?" Itachi asked, trying not to get mad. He was trying to stay calm and work this out rationally.

"How am I supposed to make friends with the guy who keeps hitting on my boyfriend?" Kisame asked in disbelief.

Itachi was starting to get annoyed with his boyfriend so he said, "If you don't want to watch it, go sit in my office. Kyuubi and I have work to get done." The Uchiha walked back into the room, slamming the door behind him. _'So much for remaining calm,'_ he thought as he sat down in his chair.

Kisame just looked at the door, _'Fuck I can be such and idiot.'_ He knew better than to go back in there, he just sighed and walked back to Itachi's office. He wasn't very worried though; he knew that when they made up it'd be well worth the fight, it always was.

Itachi walked back into the room to see Kyuubi flirting with his assistant, Shukaku. "So we'll talk later?" Shukaku asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, I'll see you later," Kyuubi smiled as the other man walked out of the office.

"You two seem to be getting to know each other," Itachi observed. He wondered if it was just Kyuubi flirting again or if he was actually serious.

"Yeah, he's cool, I met him at a coffee shop the other day. We're going on a date later," the redhead said casually. Kyuubi looked at Itachi and asked, "Where did Kisame go?" He didn't mean to cause a fight with the two it was just harmless flirting.

"He has work to do else where," Itachi said calmly, he knew that he and Kisame would make up later so he wasn't letting it affect his work. Kyuubi just nodded, not really believing the excuse.

**NS**

Later that day Naruto and Sasuke were walking through campus, hand in hand. It was a beautiful spring day, perfect for going to the smoothie place on campus. They'd never gone to the smoothie place, so they thought that it would be a nice to see if they were good. The two were talking, getting along. "What kind of smoothie you want?" Naruto asked.

"Before we get smoothies, there's something that we need to talk about," Sasuke said as he stopped walking.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, a little worried. _'What if he's dumping me? What if that stupid Haru made a move? What if he likes Haru and is dumping me for him?' _Naruto thought, knowing that Sasuke had spent some time with the other boy earlier.

"Haru kissed me earlier," Sasuke said after a deep breath. He wasn't sure how Naruto was going to react; he hoped that he wouldn't overreact.

"He what?" the blonde growled as he let go of Sasuke's hand. A look came over his eyes that meant that he was ready to hurt someone.

"Naruto calm down, I pushed him away," Sasuke said. "Nothing really happened even," he added.

"He kissed you, how can you call that nothing?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"I didn't kiss him back," the raven argued. "Look I didn't want this to turn into a fight, I just wanted you to know," Sasuke sighed. "I didn't want to keep this from you," he said, guilty that he'd waited all day to tell him.

"You see, this is why I didn't trust the guy," the blonde said, frustrated. "Thank you for telling me though," he said after he took a deep breath and looked at his boyfriend.

Sasuke just nodded as he grabbed Naruto's hand again. " I understand why you don't like him now. Which is why I told him that we couldn't hang out anymore," Sasuke looked down as he spoke. After a moment of silence, Sasuke looked back up and said, "You know that I love you."

Naruto smiled as he looked at Sasuke, "I love you too." His grin then widened as he then asked, "So what kind of smoothie do you want?" He wasn't going to let a stupid kiss ruin their relationship, so he moved off of the topic.

"I don't know, a strawberry and banana," Sasuke said, laughing a little about how fast Naruto could change a topic. It made him happy to know that they weren't going to let something stupid come between them. "Depends on what they have," he added.

"That sounds good," Naruto agreed. "We should just share one, I don't know that I can drink a whole fruit smoothie by myself," the blonde smiled.

"What's with you and healthy things?" Sasuke asked. "You can eat ten tons of ramen, yet when it comes to something healthy you won't touch it," the raven shook his head.

"Not all of us grew up eating vegetables and fruit every day," Naruto pointed out. "I could ask you the same thing you know, just backwards," the blonde laughed. "Why do you like tomatoes so much but not anything unhealthy?" he asked.

"I eat plenty of things that aren't healthy," Sasuke said. "Remember I was going to eat cake over winter break until someone distracted me," he smirked.

"How could I forget?" Naruto asked sarcastically playing dumb.

"Must be the blonde hair," Sasuke joked as they walked up the steps to the small food court of places they could pay extra to buy.

"Well then maybe you should help me remember better exactly what I did," Naruto smirked, trying to get the raven to kiss him.

"Sorry, I don't have a counter," Sasuke chuckled.

"Fine, but next time we have a counter, I'm getting that kiss," the blonde grinned as he let go of Sasuke's hand and he put his arm around Sasuke. Sasuke responded by putting his arm around the blonde's waist as they walked into the food court.

They were walking toward the smoothie place when Sasuke saw Orochimaru sitting at a table. The old man looked surprised to see him at first, but then his regular smirk appeared. Sasuke glanced at him quickly before turning back to the blonde, ignoring the old man. _'First Haru and now Orochimaru, does the universe just love to torture me today?' _Sasuke thought as he tried his best to ignore the older man.

Orochimaru's smirk fell as he watched the raven-haired boy walk away, not even fazed by his presence. _'How the hell is he not afraid of me? How dare he ignore me? I'll teach him not to ignore me,' _he thought as he angrily watched the two teens pass him.

Sasuke just smiled a little at his boyfriend, tightening his arm around the blonde. Naruto made him feel safe, like he didn't have to be afraid of Orochimaru.

The blonde looked over to where Sasuke had glance and then asked, "You okay? We can get smoothies later."

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Sasuke with a small smile. _'He can't hurt me,'_ Sasuke assured himself.

"You just let me know," Naruto said as he smiled back. He was happy that Sasuke was trying not to let the man control his emotions; it meant he was starting to move on from what happened to him. It was good for him to always remember it, because it made him stronger, but it is also important that he didn't let it control his life.

**NS**

Sakura was sitting in the lounge part of the student center. She was watching some guys play pool, bored out of her mind. The door opened and she saw Lee walk in towards her. "Hello beautiful," he said as he sat next to her.

"Hi Lee," she gave him a small smile. She figured it was time to move on from Sai and Sasuke.

"I know that you might say no, but I was wondering if you'd go on a date with me," Lee asked, hopeful that her answer would be yes.

"I'd love to," she said. _'What the hell, I might as well,' _She thought as she smiled at Lee.

Lee cheered at her answer, "Great, I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven."

"Alright," she said as the boy walked away.

**TBC…?**

**I'm pretty sure that there will be more of Orochimaru in next chapter, but at least Haru is gone and Kiba and Suigetsu are together **


	56. Fearless

**Last chapter! **

**Seriously this is one of the longest chapters of the story…**

**It just kind of wraps everything up for all of the characters**

**I want to say, thank you to all of my reviewers, I didn't think that I'd get so many reviews on this…**

**You may not see another story from me after this, probably a one-shot, but not a multi-chapter story…unless an idea comes to me and I really can't get it out of my head, which is totally possible…**

**Now that this is done, I'm going to be re-editing all of my other stories – taking songs out of some, lemons out of others…I'm actually almost done with the re-editing I just have 5 stories to go, one of which is almost done**

**This chapter was named something completely different until the song fearless by Taylor Swift came on while I was writing it and I realized the name of the song kind of fit the chapter and I liked this name a whole lot better than I liked the other one…**

**As always, I own nothing**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review**

**Chapter 56: Fearless**

Naruto and Sasuke were lying down to go to sleep. The nightlight was shining brightly in the room and Sasuke was tossing and turning. The raven got up and turned on the light. "Babe, what are you doing?" Naruto asked sleepily.

"I'm trying something just go with it," Sasuke said, causing Naruto to given a tired sigh. The raven walked over to the nightlight and unplugged it.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Naruto asked, as he looked at his boyfriend, surprised.

"I don't know, we'll see how it works out," Sasuke said as he crawled into bed with the blonde and turned off the light. The bed wasn't made for two people, let alone two grown men, but they made it work.

"What brought this on?" Naruto asked as he faced Sasuke, moving the dark hair out of the other boy's face.

"For the first time I didn't freeze when I saw Orochimaru," Sasuke said. "So maybe I can sleep with the lights off," he said quietly.

"Well you're not freaking out this time," the blonde pointed out. "But do we have to sleep?" Naruto grinned as he started to kiss Sasuke.

"I thought you were tired," Sasuke smirked when he pulled away from the kiss.

"I was, but then you crawled into my bed," Naruto laughed. His eyes were once again adjusted to the dark and he could see Sasuke shaking his head. "Fine, I'll behave," Naruto said as he pulled the other boy closer to him.

Sasuke turned so that his back was to Naruto and they were spooning. "I love you," the raven said as Naruto draped an arm over him.

"I love you too," the blonde said as he kissed the back of the raven's neck.

**NS**

That night, Suigetsu and Kiba went out on a date. They were talking and having a good time. For once, the brunette felt as if a date weren't awkward. They had been good friends for almost the past year, so it kind of surprised him. He thought it might be like the date that he went on with Hinata, but it was nothing like it.

As they walked back to the dorms, Kiba grabbed the other boy's hand, making them both smile. They talked the entire time about whatever came to their minds. "You'd love my dog," Kiba said with a smile. "He's great, but I couldn't bring him to school. I was tempted to sneak him into the room," the brunette smiled.

"Why wasn't he at the mountains?" Suigetsu asked, curious as to why he wouldn't have taken his dog with him.

"Because my mom doesn't let me bring him to the cabin anymore. Last time I did he pooped on the floor because he didn't want to go out in the cold," he explained.

Suigetsu just laughed, "I see." He'd never liked dogs much, but he'd give them a chance for Kiba. _'They can't be that bad I'm sure,' _he thought. "I've only had fish, and they died in like a week," Suigetsu said.

"That's why dogs are better," said Kiba. "Dogs don't usually die within a week," he smiled.

"Oh trust me, I'm sure it would with me," Suigetsu laughed, knowing that he wasn't very good with animals.

"I'm sure you're not that bad with animals, but just incase, remind me never to let you watch Akamaru," Kiba laughed.

They reached Suigetsu's room and he said, "I had fun tonight." He had his hand on the doorknob behind him, wanting not to go in without a kiss.

"Me too," Kiba smiled. He didn't just want to go for the kiss on the first date. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he turned to walk away.

Suigetsu wasn't letting that end the night; he grabbed the other boy's arm and pulled him back. He pulled on the collar of Kiba's shirt, pulling him into a kiss. The brunette felt his heart rate go up as he responded to the kiss. Kiba pushed the other boy against the door behind them as he kissed him passionately. Suigetsu had one hand on the back of the brunette's head, encouraging him to continue. When they pulled away Suigetsu smiled and said, "Goodnight."

Kiba watched as the other boy walked into the room, "Night." He couldn't help but think, _'It just keeps getting better.'_

Suigetsu walked into his room to see Juugo sitting on his bed listening to music. The other boy looked over when he heard the door open and he took off his headphones. "How was the date?" Juugo asked.

"Great," Suigetsu smiled as he collapsed on his bed. "The best date I've ever had," he smiled up at the ceiling.

Juugo just nodded as he looked over at his friend. He was happy that all of his friends seemed to be finding happiness.

**NS**

The next day, Sasuke was walking to class alone. Naruto and Kiba had decided to have breakfast that morning. Rather than making the blonde walk him to class, he told him to have fun and go to breakfast. It was the one class that he didn't really have a friend in, he used to walk with Haru but after the guy tried to kiss him, that was out of the question.

He walked into the building that held his Biology class and there wasn't anyone in the hallways; they were either already in class or coming later. Sasuke was early as usual so he knew he'd had to wait by himself. He walked by what he thought was an empty room, until he saw Orochimaru standing outside of it. The man was smirking at him and he knew he was up to something. He pulled him by the arm roughly, "It's been awhile Sasuke."

"Let go of me," the raven struggled to get his arm free. He knew this time he had to fight back, he wasn't just going to let Orochimaru have his "fun." Sasuke glared at the older man, _'If I can sleep with out the stupid nightlight, I can sure as hell fight him.'_

Orochimaru opened the door to the room with the swipe card he had gotten from Kabuto, "I don't think so." He pushed Sasuke into the room so that the boy hit the corner of the long table inside.

As Orochimaru went to hit him, Sasuke kicked the man in the stomach. "I said let me go," he growled.

"You're asking for it now," Orochimaru hissed as he lunged toward Sasuke.

Sasuke, however, quickly moved out of the way, causing Orochimaru to hit the table and fell on the floor. The raven took advantage of the position and as the older man was getting up and turning around. As Orochimaru went for another swing at him, pushed him against the wall. He pinned the older man's wrists to the wall as he said, "I'm not a little kid anymore, and you can't hurt me." Sasuke had a vicious look in his eyes as he glared at the older man. "I'm not just going to sit around and take it from you anymore," he said as he shoved the man to the ground. "You touch me again and I'll tell everyone what you did to me," Sasuke said.

"You don't have the proof," Orochimaru chuckled, not taking the boy seriously.

Sasuke lifted up his shirt to show where the man threw him into the table, "I don't know, that looks like a bruise if forming to me, don't you think?" Part of Sasuke couldn't believe what he was doing, but he knew he had to. His flight or fight senses had kicked in and for once he was choosing to fight.

"Why would anyone believe you?" Orochimaru scoffed.

"The question should be why would they believe you," Sasuke said. "I have people who will come to my defense, I really doubt that you do," he glared at the man. "So I'm going to say it one more time, if you touch me again, I won't be so nice. I already have a long list of people who want to kill you and if you even lay a finger on me and I won't stop them," he told the man before turning and walking out of the room.

Orochimaru started at the door that Sasuke had just walked out of. He couldn't believe that Sasuke actually fought back. He knew that it wasn't and empty threat. The man knew that if Sasuke didn't stop him, Itachi would have already killed him. However, he also knew that Sasuke wouldn't want to have his friends or brother sent to jail for murder. That didn't mean that the boy wouldn't let them beat the man up and if he even thought about pressing charges for assault, he knew Sasuke would just come back at him with child abuse charges as well as assault charges now that he was an adult. _'He's really not scared of me anymore,'_ Orochimaru thought angrily, wondering what he'd do now that he couldn't hurt Sasuke anymore.

Meanwhile, Sasuke took a deep breath, not really believing what he just did. _'He can't control me,' _Sasuke thought as he walked away, knowing he was finally moving on from what happened to him. As he started to walk towards class, he decided he didn't want to go, not after what had just happened. As much as he tried to hide it while talking to Orochimaru, he knew he was still shaken up and wouldn't be able to think.

**NS**

Naruto and Kiba were sitting in the cafeteria-like place for students. It was right next to the student center where they could play pool, though the guys rarely did. On the other side it was next to the school's gym. They usually tried to go work out a few nights a week, since it was free for students. But at that moment, they were in the cafeteria eating and talking. "So, as you know, Suigetsu and I are dating. We went out on a date last night and for once I didn't feel awkward," he smiled.

"That's great, I was joking about you being gay, but hey that works too," the blonde laughed. "So you guys had a good time?" he asked.

"Yep," he smiled. "So what'd you and Sasuke do last night?" Kiba asked.

"Sasuke slept without his nightlight," the blonde casually said.

"He's what 19? He should be sleeping without a nightlight," the brunette rolled his eyes as he continued to eat.

"You don't understand why that's a big deal, but it is," Naruto assured him. "Overall we had a good night," he smiled.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt," Sasuke said as he sat next to them.

Naruto could tell something had happened, the other boy didn't just ditch class for no reason. "What's going on? Why aren't you in class?" Naruto asked.

"I was going to go, but, well, something happened," Sasuke said as he started to play with the bottom of his shirt.

"Do you want Kiba to leave?" Naruto asked, figuring that he wouldn't want the brunette to hear it.

"You haven't told him?" Sasuke gave him a small smile. "I figured with how much of a blabber mouth you are that you would have," he said as he looked at the two.

"I thought you didn't want me to tell anybody," Naruto said in disbelief.

"I didn't, that didn't mean you'd listen," Sasuke pointed out.

"Well I did, so do you want him to leave so that we can talk about?" Naruto asked as he looked at Sasuke.

"No, it's fine," Sasuke assured him. He trusted Kiba, the guy was Naruto's best friend and Suigetsu's boyfriend so there was no reason for him not to.

"What happened?" Naruto asked and Kiba was excited because he'd finally get to hear the big secret.

"Orochimaru pulled me into a classroom today," he said as he looked down at his lap.

"Did he hurt you? I'll kill him," Naruto said angrily, about to get up but Sasuke made him sit back down.

"I'm fine," he said. "I actually stood up for myself," the raven bit his lip.

"Wait what's going on?" Kiba asked. It sounded to him as if they were saying that Orochimaru used to hurt Sasuke.

"His guardian, Orochimaru, used to abuse him," Naruto explained. He the turned to Sasuke, "What'd you do?"

"I got out of his hold and made him get away from me," Sasuke tried to explain.

Naruto smiled as he kissed the other boy, "Good, that's what you needed to do."

Sasuke just nodded as he took deep breaths, calming himself down. "I know," he said. He was happy that for once he had a good support system behind him.

**NS**

Sakura had talked Ino and Sai into a double date. Just incase the date went badly; she didn't want to be alone at a table with Lee. There was a knock on Sakura and Ino's door. Sakura opened the door to see both Lee and Sai waiting. "Hi guys, come on Ino let's go," she called to the blonde haired girl.

The four of them were sitting a booth in a nice, but not too fancy, restaurant. They were all laughing and having a good time. Sakura was surprised by how much she and Lee had in common. She was also surprised by how much fun they were having.

Ino looked over at Sakura and could tell she was having fun. It made her happy to see Sakura with a guy that was actually attainable for her. The girl usually went for guys that were out of her reach, but for once she was actually giving a chance to a guy that liked her. _'For once she might have a healthy relationship,' _Ino thought with a smile.

**NS**

Kyuubi, Shukaku, Kisame, and Itachi all sat around a dinner table. Kisame and Kyuubi sat at different ends of the table, with Itachi and Shukaku in between them to mediate. _'I never thought I'd be one to mediate a fight,' _Itachi sighed. "Can you two just get along, remember this is supposed to be a civil dinner, among friends," Itachi reminded them why they were there.

"Yes, we know Itachi," Kyuubi said as he looked over at Kisame. _'The things I do to be friends with him,' _he thought as he looked back at Itachi.

"We are being civil," Kisame said. _'Not trying to cut him in half with my steak knife is very civil,' _he thought with a fake smile.

"You two are impossible," Itachi mumbled as their food came. _'Why do I put up with these two?" _he wondered.

Kisame started eating as he looked between Kyuubi and Itachi, _'Next thing you know he's going to ask us to have a threesome.'_ He then looked at Shukaku, _'Or perhaps a foursome, that is not happening.'_ He looked down at his food, trying not to think of what else Itachi could ask him, and instead focused on eating.

Kyuubi couldn't help but notice the awkward silence that had taken over the table. _'This is ridiculous. The guy is never going to be my friend, why bother?' _Kyuubi wondered to himself as he looked at Kisame.

They both knew that Itachi wouldn't give up until they got along, meaning that there would be a lot of dinners and lunches in their future. _'They are going to learn to like each other, whether they want to or not,'_ Itachi smirked. He knew that they both didn't want him to be mad with them and he was going to use that to his advantage.

Kyuubi's attention was not on Itachi that night, but rather on Shukaku. The two started to ignore Itachi and Kisame once they started talking about the things they had in common. Every now and then Itachi or Kisame would add into the conversation. _'Okay, maybe this guy isn't that bad, at least now that he's found his own guy,' _Kisame thought as he looked at Kyuubi.

By the end of the night, Itachi was satisfied with the progress made, but decided they would try again each week until the two were truly friends. He felt as long as Shukaku was around, Kisame and Kyuubi would be able to be friends.

**NS**

The next afternoon, Hinata and Neji were sitting in the central area of campus. She was trying to keep in touch with him, since she knew that no one else in her family was making an effort. "How are things going?" he asked with a smile.

"Good actually, I've never been happier," he smiled.

"Good, I'm happy for you," she said. She looked down, "I'm sure that everyone will come around soon. Just give them some time." She wasn't truly sure if they'd ever accept it, but she felt that she needed to make her cousin feel better about everything that had happened.

"I don't really care if they do," Neji said confidently. "I've made my choice," he shrugged.

"You don't mean that," she stuttered. "You want the family to accept you," she frowned, knowing him better than that.

"Yeah, I guess I do, but I want them to accept me for me, and I don't think that'll ever happen," he explained.

She nodded, understanding his point of view. "Well, I'll always be there for you," she smiled.

"Thank you," he responded with a small smile of his own.

As they continued talking, Gaara walked over. "Mind if I join you guys?" he asked, trying to be polite, he wasn't really going to take no for an answer.

"We don't mind at all," Hinata smiled. They all started talking and eating lunch, Hinata was happy to see Neji happy. She felt both him and Gaara deserved to be happy, no matter what her father said. She truly did hope that her father would come around and see that sexuality didn't matter so long as the person was happy, but she doubted that he ever would.

**NS**

Temari found Shikamaru lying in the grass that was in certain parts of the campus. He was looking up at the clouds, almost falling a sleep. "Hey lazy," she said as she sat down next to him.

"Hey," he said as he looked over at her. "What's up?" he asked as he looked up at the sky.

"What's up, is that you're taking me on a date," Temari demanded. She and Shikamaru had been going out for a while and yet the only real effort he'd put into it was on Valentine's Day. "One that doesn't involve us sitting outside," she added.

"How troublesome," he mumbled. "When do you want to go?" he asked.

"Tomorrow, I made us a reservation for eight so you need to pick me up at seven," she said. She knew if she wanted to go out then she was going to have to organize the entire thing since her lazy boyfriend wouldn't.

"Alright, I got it," Shikamaru said. "I won't be late," he added, knowing that she was going to say it anyway.

**NS**

That night, Hinata and Tenten were sitting outside at one of the tables on campus. The sun had yet to go all the way down so they were just enjoying the beautiful night. "It's been a crazy year so far. With everything that's happened since the beginning of last semester," Tenten said.

"Yeah, it has," Hinata smiled. "But a good crazy," she added as she thought about everything that had happened.

"I guess, I mean I didn't get the guy that I wanted but at least everyone is happy right?" Tenten said as she looked down at the table.

"Don't worry Tenten, there is someone out there for you," Hinata assured. She didn't like to see anyone sad, especially her friends.

"I know," Tenten smiled.

Choji and Shino saw the girls and walked over to them. "Hey guys," Choji said with a smile.

"Hey," Hinata replied. "What are you guys up to?" she asked.

"We were in the lounge playing pool, but now we're just heading back to our dorms," Choji answered. "Can I have some of your chips?" he asked as he pointed to the bag on the table.

"Of course," Hinata smiled. They all started to talk and laugh. _'It's good to just be around friends,'_ Hinata thought as she looked around the table. She knew that she couldn't wait for the coming years, just to see everything that would happen among her friends. She knew that there would be fights and possible break ups, but instead of thinking of the bad, she looked forward to all of the good times she knew were yet to come.

**THE END.**


	57. Epilouge

**Okay so I decided to write an epilogue because of how many reviews I got saying they wanted an epilogue or sequel. I thought about writing a sequel but it seemed so cliché once it was planned out. For this epilogue I decided to only focus on Sasuke and Naruto because a lot of people complained that it ended with Hinata's point of view in the last chapter. While through out the entire story I focused on every character, this one is only focusing on Naruto and Sasuke. This takes place about a year and a half after the last chapter. Also, someone told me that in a different chapter I used the abbreviation PDA and they didn't know what it meant, just incase anyone else doesn't know, it means Pubic Display of Affection. **

**As always, I own nothing, enjoy and please review.**

**Chapter 57: Epilogue**

Naruto took a deep breath as he paced back and forth. He was nervous and it was evident, not only because of the pacing, but also because of the expression on his face. Kiba watched as he paced back and forth in the brunette's small apartment that he and Suigetsu had bought a year earlier. He found the blonde's actions amusing, which just frustrated Naruto even more. "I just don't know how to ask," Naruto finally said.

"You know he'll say yes, what's the issue?" Kiba asked as he continued to watch the blonde. He couldn't even believe that Naruto was worried, it seemed evident to him that there was no way Sasuke would say no.

"It's just a big step you know?" Naruto asked. "I know he doesn't like change," he then said hating the anxiety it was causing him.

"Naruto, Suigetsu and I got an apartment, I'm sure Sasuke will get one with you. I mean the guy's in love with you," the brunette said, trying to calm his friend down. "Just grow some balls and ask already," Kiba added as he sat up on his couch.

"Just because Suigetsu agreed doesn't mean that Sasuke will, they're two different people," Naruto said as he stopped his pacing and sat down next to Kiba. He ran a hand through his hair as he leaned back on the couch, trying to calm down.

"Dude, Sasuke is probably wondering why you haven't already asked him. Stop being a moron and ask him already," Kiba said in his own blunt encouragement.

"We're going out for dinner tonight, I planned on asking him then, I just don't know if it's too soon," the blonde said, his frown deepening.

"You've been dating for almost two years, I really don't think it's too soon," Kiba said. "It doesn't hurt to ask, all he can say is no. It's not like asking him to move in will make him break up with you," he pointed out. "And if he does, it's a really stupid reason," the brunette said, wanting the conversation to be over already.

"I know," Naruto said. He hated feeling unsure about something. He didn't really understand how Kiba could be so sure that Sasuke would say yes.

"Besides, he practically lives with you already anyways," Kiba pointed out. It was his last attempt to convince the blonde, if that didn't work then he didn't know what would.

"How do you figure?" the blonde asked. He was confused by Kiba's statement, he knew that he and Sasuke shared a dorm room but that wasn't exactly the same as buying an apartment together.

"You share a dorm room and every break he stays at your house with you," the brunette said, feeling as if he'd made his point.

Naruto's face took on a look of realization. "I guess that's true," he'd never thought about the breaks as them somewhat living together, but it really was. It was currently the end of Summer break and Naruto knew if he were going to ask he should do it soon so that they could inform the school that they didn't need a dorm that year.

"If he can put up with you all semester in the dorm and then go with you when we have breaks, he'd be willing to move in with you," the brunette said as he got up and walked into the nearby kitchen for a soda. "You want one?" he asked before walking back to the living room.

"No thanks," the blonde mumbled. He continued to think over what Kiba had said in silence as Kiba sat back down. "Alright, I'm going to do it," Naruto said finally.

"Thank you," Kiba smiled in relief, he was just happy that the conversation was over. "Now lets watch some TV before you change your mind."

**NS**

Sasuke and Suigetsu were walking to a store near the light haired man's apartment. Suigetsu was looking for a movie that came out quite a few years ago. He loved the movie so he wanted to buy it because Kiba had never seen it and he was going to make the brunette watch it with him. "What's on your mind?" Suigetsu asked as he looked at his best friend.

"Naruto's been acting weird lately," Sasuke said. He didn't know any other way to describe his boyfriend's recent behavior. He knew it was off, he just couldn't tell what about it was weird.

"Weird how?" the other man asked. He could tell that Sasuke looked confused by his boyfriend's behavior so he hoped that he could help.

"Well, he asked me to go to dinner with him tonight, but it wasn't his normal confident way of acting. He seemed nervous about something and I have no idea what. I mean what could he be nervous about?" the raven asked.

Suigetsu had a feeling that he knew what it was. He and Kiba had moved in together about a year earlier and so he figured that Naruto was finally ready to take that step. He knew Sasuke wanted to ever since he and Kiba had got an apartment, even if he didn't say anything. He didn't mention the idea though; he didn't want to get Sasuke's hopes up. "That is weird," was all Suigetsu said.

"I usually can tell what he's thinking just by the way he acts, but for once I have no idea," he sighed in frustration. The raven hated not knowing what was going on, he hoped whatever the blonde was nervous about would be resolved that night.

**NS**

Sasuke and Naruto sat in a nice restaurant, they had just finished eating dinner and the waitress was giving them time to see if they wanted a dessert. It wasn't too fancy of a restaurant, but it wasn't fast food either, it was a nice medium. "What's wrong?" Sasuke finally asked.

"What do you mean?" Naruto played coy about the situation. He knew what Sasuke was talking about, he just didn't want to make it seem like anything was wrong. He wanted to be confident when asking not a bundle of nerves.

"Don't give me that, you know exactly what I mean," Sasuke said. He had that look on his face that said, _"You better tell me right now."_

'_Okay Naruto, you can do this. Just ask, the worst he can say is no,' _Naruto thought to himself. He was so nervous he felt as if he were proposing. The blonde knew that asking someone to move in with you shouldn't be so difficult. "I've been nervous," Naruto admitted.

"About what?" Sasuke asked, hew as confused as to what the blonde could be nervous about.

The blonde took a few moments to think about how to phrase it. "I just have been fighting in my head if I should ask you to move in with me," Naruto finally said. "I know it's a big step but," Sasuke then cut him off.

"Shut up," he said and that was when Naruto thought that the answer was going to be no. "Is that seriously why you were nervous?" the raven asked, trying to hold back a chuckle as he leaned back in his chair with a small smile on his face.

"Well, yeah," Naruto said, confused by Sasuke's reaction. "I know it's a big step so I wasn't sure if it was too soon," he added, trying to explain his anxiety.

"I practically already live with you, what would make you think that I'd say no?" Sasuke asked. "Hell, I've been waiting for you to ask for the past year," he admitted to the blonde.

Naruto grinned at Sasuke's words. He felt a wave of relief take over his body as Sasuke said yes. "Well, then I guess we should start looking for a nice apartment," he said.

"I guess we should," Sasuke smiled. As with everything they did, it was hardly romantic whatsoever, but it suit them. After a moment Sasuke smirked as he said in a low, almost lustful voice, "Why don't we go back to your place and celebrate."

Naruto grinned once again at Sasuke's words. "Check please," he then said, wanting to get out of the restaurant and to their _celebration._

**The End.**

**I'm serious this time, no more for Lights Out. This is the last chapter, I'm not writing anymore so don't even bother asking. I hoped you all liked the chapter.**


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